The Washington herald., 1920-05-03
Coast Contest
Bears VitaHy
On OnPresidency
On Tuesdays Result De
pends Johnson's S Import
ance at Chicago.
ION NATIONAL ISSUES
Senator Aligned With
Reed, Thompson and
Hearst.
By WILLIS ]. ABBOT.

Los Angeles, Cal, May Cali
fornia Republicans have just closed
the bitterest primary campaign
ever fought in this State. where
politics is not played with gloves.
1t is a contest full Of impor-
tsnce to the nation as a whole.
ior upon the result of next Tues
days primary election depends al
together the question as 10
whether Senator Hiram Johnson
shall be a considerable figure in
the Republican national conren-
ton.
On National Lines.
The battle between the friends OF
johnson and those Of Herbert Hoover
has in the main been fought on ma
uonal lines, as BELTS . contest upon
which may hang the Presidency Of
the United States.
In rally held last night at the
Trinity Auditorium. in this city. one
Of the largest and most enthusiastic
Pre-convention political meetings
which have ever witnessed. the
speakers all stressed the need for a
league Of nations and their ad-
Nocacy of it was Invariably greeted
with cheers. I; is difficult TO be-
lieve that on this issue Senator
johnson has with him anything lik.
majority OF the people Of Cali
fOrnia.
A very significant fact bearing
upon this issue was the editorial
reputation OF the Senator's position
on the league, made this week pv
the Fresno Republican, ono Of his
strongest supporters.
In Anomalous Position.
Chester RowelI. the editor. is nv
his own writings. put in the anom-
alous position OF supporting for
the Presidency a candidate whose
attitude upon those foreign ques-
tions with which the President
has most to do he unrescrvcdIy con-
demns. The situation is in fact 50
anomalous that there is wide oues-
tion throughout the State as to
whether the paper is in fact wholly
in favor OF the nomination Of Its
ostensible candidate
This. taken in conjunction with
the recent swing to Hoover OF one
Of the johnson committeeman in the
northern end OF the State. strength
ems the general popular Impression
that the tide is turning toward
Hoover and that the longer the
campaign the greater will be his
strength
Iiases of Opposition.
When the national issue is put to
the average voter in this form:
DO you prefer some league Of ma
uons TO no league" the answer is
almost invariably in the affirmative.
and upon that proposition the an
tagonism 10 Johnson is based.
When personalities rather than
issues are talked. one finds Hoover
attacked mainly upon his long ab-
sence from the United States and
the alleged lack Of thorough going
Americsnism resulting from it. II
would be idle TO deny that this ar
Eument has its effect in some quar-
ters. But IL is raised chiefly by
spokesmen and organs of public
opinion thai arc not themselves
happily situated 10 voice this criti-
c:sgS-
The great crowd at Trinity Audi
torium was reused TO cheers the
other night when ono speaker
asked Caustically whether. after his
four years work abroad during the
war and his work since without
compensation for American inter-
ests, Mr.. Hoover should be expected
now to ask for a certificate OF his
Americanism from Jim Reed. Mayor
Thompson, Of Chicago, and William
r. Hearst. And myself saw a
lively discussion about a club table
suddenly stilled by the quiet Ques-