New-York tribune., 1920-05-28
Republicans to
Drop Dry Issue
AT Convention
CONTINUED from pago one)

President Of tho Philippines. are mem
bcrs of the commission.
Candidates for the nomination opened
their final drive to-day to capture the
493 votes that spell victory in the con-
vcntion
The last Of the 9S4 delegates were
selected yesterday when Vermont Re-
publicans chose eight uninstructed rep
resentativcs.
General Leonard Wood. present re-
turns show, will enter the convention
with more instructed votes than any
othor candidate, but his total of 1853
positively instructed delegates is less
than one third of the number necessary
to win the nomination.
The Division Of strength among the
large field Of "favorite sons" practically
precludes any possibility of nomna-
ton on the first ballot. Even the most
optimistic campaign managers here are
not claiming victory before the third
ballot, and the more conservative partv
leaders predict the break will not come
before the fifth or sixth at the earliest.
One big factor which may upset cam
paign managers predictions is vet to
be dealt with. One hundred and forty
five contests have been or will be filed.
more than one-seventh of all the seats
in the convention being at stake, and
the national committee which meets
here Monday to decide these contests
and prepare the temporary roll may
alter materially the prospects of sew
eral candidates.
supporters of General Wood and Gov
ernor Frank o. Lowden. Senator Hiram
johnson and other candidates are not
interested directly in these contests, but
may raise questions regarding primary
contests in South Dakota, New Jersey.
Indiana, Michigan, Nebraska and other
cities
In addition to the 145 contests, sixty
four surplus delegates, with fractional
votes, have been chosen from ten states,
and the Republican National Commit
tees rules provide that their right to
seats shall also be contested. The con-
vention call stated that no oversize
delegations should be seated, and no
seats have been provided for these
sixty four
Senator Johnson and Senator Howard
Sutherland, of West Virginia, were the
principal gamers in primaries and con-
ventlons held in four states during the
past week. Senator Johnson, returns
indicate, will get nine of Orcgon's ten
votes and Senator Sutherland sixteen
from West Virginia. Texas Ropubli-
cans split into two factions, each of
which elected an uninstructed delega-
ton with twenty-three votes.
Figures compiled here show the fol-
lowing division Of the convention vote {:
General Wood, 1885, Senator Johnson,
lo9; Governor Lowden, 74 favorite
sons and uninstructed, Gas.
In the tavorite-son list Senator Wa1
rem G, Harding has thirty nine votes
from Ohio; Senator Sutherland sixteen
from West Virginia; Senator Miles
Polndexter is expected to receive Wash
ngton's fourteen, and Judge Pritchard
of North Carolina, is expected TO yet
seventeen of his states twenty two
votes
Campaign managers here of three
leading candidates all claim victory In
statements issued last night. The
wood and johnson camps make definite
predictions as to their first ballot vote,
the supporters of the general claim
ing 385 votes and those of the Senator
236 The Lowden forces, while pro-
fesslng their confidence, are not pre-
pared to quote exact figures.
"Leonard Wood" Announces his
| headquarters, has so Increased his
votes in the last week thet first bal
lot prediction of 335 votes was made
to-day at Wood headquarters here.
This is more than the combined in
structed vote of all other candidates.
On the first ballot he will be big
Leader and this total will increase
steadily until nomination is assured. /"
The Johnson headquarters, which
are now in charge of Hiram johnson
.r., the Senator's son, announced with
equal positiveness that:
senator johnson already has 236
pledged delegates who will vote for
MN on the first ballot and will stick
with him to the last ditch. His vote
on the first ballot will be equal to if no.
greater than that of any other candi-
date and by the fifth or sixth ballot
he viii be nominated"