Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-05
Fight in Woods
Camp Sharpened
Continued from PAGE One

near the Wood camp had the desire
to spread the impression that Wood was
In a bad way.
Following on these stories came Sen
ator Moses sensational attack on the
national committee. and his allusion to
the strength Of johnson.
The hotel corridors called the state
ment double crossing" Wood. II was
calculated to show division in the Wood
forces and indicate that the politicians
surrounding Wood were getting ready
TO flop to johnson. and array the or
ganixation against Wood more strongly
than il had been. No candidate was
ever SO double crossed by his campaign
managers on the eve of the convention
as Wood has been. The purpose OF
forcing Woods hand is written all over
the incident.
1.-THE statement and the revelation Of
\ the feud hurt Wood They lend GER
tain moral strength to Johnson, who rs
even without them gaining surprisingly
with the organizatio supporters. They
will tend TO keep I.owden in the hight, as
I.owden will hope to profit by the divi-
sion of the Wood forces.
Big Fight Takes Form
The big fight of the convention has
begun to take form. Wood snapped al
johnson when he branded as enemy
propaganda" the story published in a
johnson newspaper here that Colonel
Proctor had been superseded by FRANK
Nh. Hitchcock. .,
Johuson snapped back at Wood with
out knowing what the general had said
. when he threatened all kinds of dire
s things TO anv one who tried to tamper
with his primary instructed delegates
reminding the general OF what he hlm-
to nrrinO that IDIiO mn
sbide by the primary vote and Instruct
for Wood.
u, This Is the natural fight. Wood and
johnson have been pitted against each
other in the primaries. They have
been pitted against each other in the
/, campaign fund investigation. They
represent the two big divisions of tbs
party. Wood is m" candidate Of tht
conservatives. Johnson i the choice
two. Is preferred Ivy tho business in
terestS. johnson i tho hope of th'
labot vote in 50 far as il Is Republican
Wood supports the German treat!
with reservations, the Lodge reserva
.fions or something stronger. johnson
J wants the league covenant amended, a
least. IL not defeated. Both are vaSu
on these issues. Both pussyfoot u
spite Of Johnson repeating the oil
they are on opposite sides of the grea
Republican divide. On the Johnso
side of the great watershed the strear
flows west. On the Wood side the
flow east.
An Irrppressible Conflict
AT this writing, il seems, as Greelc
said of the Civil War. IAN irreprcssibl
conflict" In this is involved NOR
than personalities. In fact, as you SO
the two men at Chicago, they nre no
remarkable personalities. The socin
forces that they represent are NOR
S,owerful thar they. johnson put II, un
./'tconsciously. when he said that his can
didacy expressed an overwhelming pub
lie sentiment. 1t was not he tha
rounted, but the sentiment. And tn
sentiment, he said, vas the det'rmina
fion of the public to keep America a
home. That is. however, only ono sid
~ II. The determination is based o
The feeling that we have enough to d
10 settle our own social problems n
home without spending our Cncrgic
abroad and involving ourselves in com
mitments there.
X Wood is less artiCulatN than John
son, does not talk so much about him
self, and does not say what his can
didacy represents But il is plain thf
ANV ~ IL Tue Uolul W Wv" "nhH nv rel
resents that counts, not the man.
y is an accident that he, not some or
else, represents it. 1t is at the oppC
site pole from the johnson point
view, however guardedly the exigenci
I, OF politics cause both Of them to be 81
pressed.
ffg Neither n Born Leader
Were either Of the men big perSo,
alitity, born eadcr of worthy cnus
inspiriug passionate ardor among
Followers, he would win. But Meth
js. Stiii the two antagonists promi
to fixht each other to standstill b
fore any issue can come out OF II
so eonyention. This is 50 because the
"A n no one ia the party strong enou
IA keen the conflict in bounds or to ave
its being carried on to the point OF
haustion. by bringing forward sol
third personality who represents coI
promise or who, like Hughes in l9l
lypi6es little less clearly the su
cess OF one force over the other.
The strategic element in the sltuati
n the Uowden delegates. " there w
,lendershln here. II there were real I
cnar,l. biz enough 10 have its behe
cheyed. its most powerful ilghrcS Wol
5f already have laid down the law 10 10
den. They wonld have said 20 his ma
+, rrers, save were for YOU as the "
# ont until the rough stuff about Nj
* sn,,ri Was shown up. But now y
. .r5ni to 10 one can be pomiinal