Evening star., 1920-04-04
GEORGIA PRIMARY
SITUATION CLEARS
Action Withdrawing Mr.. VIII
son Reduces Presidential
Aspirants to Three.

ATLANTA, Ga. April 3 (SpeciaD -
After running the gamut by way of
preliminary, from President Wilson to
John Y. Smith. an Atlanta lawyer and
member of the Georgia legislature,
the Georgia presidential primary has
at last settled down to contest be-
tween A. Mitchell Palmer, Hoke Smith
and Thomas f. Watson.
A petition signed by 105 Atlantans
to place the name of President Wilson
on the ballot was filed March 26. Sec
retary Gardner of the state committee
wired the President to know his
wishes; At IL o'clock noon, April /.
when the entries closed, it was an
nounced at the White House that the
President took no steps to prevent the
appearance of his name on the ballot"
This was taken in Washington and in
Georgia to mean silent acquiescence
in the use of the Presidents name. It
would have gone on the ballot had not
eight sieners withdrawn their names
from the petition late Thursday aft
crnoon. after the entry had closed.
Their withdrawal was allowed by
Chairman Fltnt and Secretary Gard
ner. acting for the state committee,
which left only ninety-seven names
the number required by the rule.
Hoover Eliminated Long Ago.
Hoover was eliminated long ago
and now the subcommittee on rules,
which eliminated him are horse
laughing the Georgia newspapers
who demanded the placing of his
name on the ballot. The subcommit-
tee accused him all along of being a
candidate for the republican nominal
ton: Senator Reed. Robert Lansing,
William G. McMcAdoo and numerous
others withdrew their names from
the ballot SO, as stated, it settles
down to a three-cornered fight be-
tween Palmer. Hoke Smith and
Thomas e. Watson.
Candidates' Attitude on League.
The Attorney General stands for
unqualified indorsment of every
phase of the administration, includ-
ing the league of nations without
reservations. He is getting strong
quarters. including National Com
mite eman Clark Howell. through his
Atlanta Constitution.
Senator Smith represents the
league Of nations with reservations.
He favors immediate ratification by
only sane course, claiming it would
be suicidal for the party to make the
league without reservations its plat
form at San Francisco.
Senator Smith is getting the sup
port of his organized following.
which is strong throughout the state.
and the Atlanta Journal is behind
him strong. as well as several other
large dailies.
Thomas f. Watson represents op-
position to the league Of nations in
any form. as well s personal oppo-
sition to the President, whom Watson
has been denouncing in his usual bit
ter style for eight years. He has a
further grievance on account of the
suppression of his Jeffersonian dur
ing the war. He now reaches the
public through the Columbia Sentinel,
little weekly, of which he is styled
associate editor.
Smith Launches Campaign.
Senator Smith launched his cam
paign at Gainesville today, with an
aggressive attack upon Clark Howell
and criticism of the record of Attor-
ney General Palmer.
The latter will open in Gainesville
next Tuesday and speak in Atlanta
Tuesday night. Watson probably will
make no speeches, depending rather
upon his vitrio1ic pen.
The primary comes on April 90. SO
that the fight will be short and hard.
ROGERS WINTER