New-York tribune., 1920-05-31
chairman ON Arrival in
Chicago Insists Merit
Shall Rule in Seating
Contesting Delegates
Fund Inquiry Will
Not Affect Result
Air Cleared by Senate's
Move, l. Opinion Heard
as the Leaders Gather
Bv arter Field

CHICAGO May 30.-Enough dele
oates to assure the nomination of al
most any strong candidate in the field
fo- the Republican Presidential nomi-
pstion will be seated by the decisions
Of the national committee in the con-
tests opening tomorrow. One hundred
and twenty-five seats are involved.
Almost every train coming into Chi
cage today bore Republican lead
es aatioral committeeman, managers
and assistant managers for the various
Candidates. and news writer's to watch
aaa ,abe part in these preliminary
fsh.s
among the arrivals were viii H.
Hays. chairman Of the national com
nittee; Coloncl William Cooper Proc
.er. manage, for Leonard Wood; T.
coleman du Pont. Of Delaware; John
1 Kinl. Ga-iona committeeman from
connecticut, and former manager Of
Wood movement; all three contest
ing delegations from the District of
Columbia, and host Of interested
SPECTATORS witn and without hotel ac-
eonmoda,lous.
Chairman Hays is determined that
there shall be no hint of the 1912 con-
tests IN the battles starting tomorrow.
Iaey viii De strictly judicial" pro
ceedlnes, he declares, and will be de-
!ermined strictly on their merits. Some
o. the oid-timers are not sure of this.
There is lively fear on the part Of
some Of the Wood people that their
Southern delegates viii be given
polite and full hearing. but no seats
They suspect THAT some members o.
the nauona! committee vii. be guided.
by their dislike OF Frank H. Hitch ?
cock long considered the most eXper {
uunder Of Southern delegates Il
politics.
Hearings viii Be ~ubHo
Mr. Hays is inclined - appo.nr q
lawyer as sort Of attorney for the
tommittee in the contests. unless Il hi-
should seem to be depTIylng the cxm-
mi,tee, which contains, o. course, meny
sole lawyers. of some OF its functl ons.
So keen is the interest, even BY Inan-
asers for candidates who made no ef-
fort TO obtain Southern delegates that
all vii be given representation s.t the
hearing, which for the first tine are
to be held in public.
While the two candidates VIII 0 have
the most TO gain or lose in the seating
q Southern delegates are WQ cd and
LOwden there are many contq sts. ac-
eord.ng to committee officials who have
been going over the papers, which do
not involve a difference over ca ndidates
Some Of the bitterest fights are over
tie recognition of the negro r Republican
lsders IN the Southern states.
The strong feeling here, especially
Since yesterdays testimony before the
Senate Committee on campaig expen-
c,tures, showing the large sums spent
In behalf Of Hiram Johnson, is that the
disclosures viii have no effect what
ever Ii anything, the general opinion
SEEMS to be the Senate committee in
yssjgation has cleared the air and put
an end TO what was growing to be
before the Investigation started very
effective underground propaganda.
!hls, 1t Is declared, was growing potent
against two Of the leading Presidential
candidates, Wood and Lowden, and had
teen operating to help Johnson and to
give all the dark horses d better
taance
The effect on the public of this move
sgalnst Wood and Lowden had been the
greater, because, especially in the case
Q. Wood, most of the money was being
Used where the public could sense the
1penditure-in straight publicity.
The testimony before the committee
has demonstrated that the great bulk
o. the money spent has been for obvi-
casy legitimate expenditures and the
Dig surprise has been the amount of
Honey spent for Johnson-the candi-
da;e IN whose behalf the charges which
forced the Investigation were made
originally.
Backers OF the dark horses, however.
esontend that the disclosures will make
impossible the nomination of any Of
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