Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-03-27
q. O.P. Leaders Must Take
Dark Horse to Beat Wood
Generals Strength Alarms Chiefs, Whose
Candidates ShoU Weakness at Primaries.
only PersI,ing and H00Uer Big Enough
BY CLINTON w. GILBERT
star Correspondent Of the Evening Public Ledger

zation Of veterans OF the Archangel ex-
pedition, most Of whom came from
Michigan, working for him. The race
on the Republican side seems to be
between Wood and Johnson, unless
Hoover displays unexpected strength.
The probabilities are that Wood will
get the state preference vote. the dele
gates at large and most of the district
delegates. Johnson is likely to get the
delegates from Detroit. Lowden will
be likely to run fourth behind Wood.
Johnson and Hoover.
After that it will be doubtful whether
he can meet the Wood competition any
where in primaries, even inefectively
in his own state. For the Wood man
ayers are thorough and are not content
with showing up the weakness OF Hard
ing and Lowden generally, but they
have entered the states of both seeking
the presidential preference vote. They
intend to eliminate. If possible, both the
old guard candidates before the conven-
ton is held and leave the old guard
the task of beating Wood with dark
horse. No dark horse being in sight,
every indication is that they will ac-
complish this at the Ohio primaries on
April 81. Even il they are not equally
successful in the Illinois primaries, the
steady showing up of Lowden in state
after state will make him hardly avail
able as nominee by the time June s
comes around.
Wood has not SHOWN impressive
strength. He is carrying states by mar
row margins over admittedly weak op-
ponents. And up to the present even
in states that he has carried the poll
ticians are chary about being commit
ted to him. Minnesota went for him,
but the state declined to instruct its
delegates for him. Kansas is for him,
but some of its delegates will not vote
for him even on the first ballot Wood
is demonstrating what every one knew
in advauce-that of all the Republican
candidates openly in the race he was
the only one with general popu lar
strength il is not overwhelming
strength. but it is general. The cumu-
lative effect of carrying state after state
even by narrow margins over weak men
may soon make him impressive, but the
present indications are that the organ
ization may still beat him with dark
horse, but certainly not with Harding
or Lowden, and johnson it will not
have. And as for dark horses il is going
to take a sizable dark horse to beat
Wood, some candidate that will appeal
to the popular imagination. Men as
little known to the country as Cover =
nor Allen. of Kansas, or Governor
Sproul, of Pennsylvania. will hardly do.
There are only two men who are big
enough for the job-Pershing and
Hoover. Pershing commanded the
Americans in France. and the argument
still is good one that IL a military
man is to be nominated why not Per
shing? He has a good chance to emerge
a victor over Wood and Johnson in the
Nebraska primaries on April 20. And
he is highly acceptable to the national
organization. Hoover, in his latest
statements. is moving toward the Re
publican party, but the organization
does not want him. 1t would prefer
Wood.