New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1920-03-29
Wood Assured
OF Is Ballots
In Bay State
Not Improbable That Gen
eral Will Get Entire IS
Massachusetts Delegation
ON Second Poll at Chicago
~
Gaining Strength Fast
Expect Complimentary Vote
for Governor Coolidge
on the First Roll Call
By Carter Field


BOSTON, March 2s.--Leonard Wood
will get at least twenty-five-brobably
more-of the thirty-five Massachusetts
delegates to the Republican National
Convention on the second ballot. He
will get them on the first ballot unless
Il is decided to give Governor Calvin A.
Coolidge complimentary vote on
that ballot. In that event most of the
delegation will vote for the Governor
s.ter his name has been placed in nom>
nation by Senator Henry Cabot Lodge.
1t is not impossible that Wood will
get the solid delegation. This depends
on primary fights in a very few dis
,ricts and on ex-senator Murray Crane,
who is believed to favor Lowden or
Harding. though he says he has not
voiced his preference to any one. Mr..
Crane probably will be one of the dele
gates at large. and in addition will con-
troll small number of district dele
gates.
Governor Coolidge has not decided
whether ne wants his name placed in
nomination, Though, of course, he would
be much pleased il he should be Sc
lected as compromise by the conven-
ton. Most of the politicians seem to
have taken his statement that he was
~snot candidate at full face value. His
i friends accordingly are not interesting
: themselves very much in the pre-con-
vention fight, holding the opinion that
the name Coolidge is we'll known to the
men who will attend the conventions
orA hot nlx-c oh Of he
ton lies in deadlock.
Some Sentiment for Hoover
Only two men are being really con-
sdered for the Republican nomination.
by either the politicians or the people
OF Massachusetts. They are General
Wood and Herbert Hoover. Practically
no politicians are for. Hoover, though
there are many evidences of the in
'srest being taken in his candidacy by
the people. At least one stalwart Re-
publican newspaper, "The Boston Her
aid" has said some very friendly
things about the former Food Admin
istrator, Robert Lincoln O'Brien, the
editor, urging on the Republican lead
ers the political strategy, as he sees it,
Of clinching victory by nominating him.
But the strangest thing about the
situation, to one who has watched some
Of the bitter political fighting in the
Middle West, is that there is simply
no mention whatever of Lowden, Hard
ing or Hiram Johnson. No candidate
for delegate or alternate is known to
be favorable TO any one of these three,
despite the fact that in the Middle
West they are regarded as the princi-
pal opponents of General Wood for the
nomination.
This perhaps is the greatest ele-
ment OF strength in the Wood cam
pagn here. There is plenty of fighting
bitter lighting but the fights against
Wood delegates, either on the Big Four
or in the districts, are not being maze
directly in behalf of men who are dan
ecrous to Wood. In fact, there are no
candidates for delegates or altcrnates
who have declared themselves in favor
Of any other candidate. There are some
candidates for district delegates who
are classed as anti God men, but not
one of them has said whom he will
vote for if elected.
This offsets to a large extent All
other curious element in the Massa
chusetts situation, the fact that, while
Wood is running away with the situa-
ton, there arc not very many candi-
dates for delegates. who are genuinely
enthusiastic about the general. The
largely unpledged. Some of the candi-
dates are running with "Favorable to
Wood" on their ballots, but many are
iunning unpledged.
Theory of Wood Backers
This would be an element of serious
weakness if the strategy of the Wood
campaigp throughout the country were
based on a long drawn-out fight in the
convention. but as matter of fact
he Wood people everywhere are obvi-
ously working on the theory of nomi-
Rating the general on the second if
not On the first ballot. And there is
simply no room for doubt that most of
the Massachusetts, delegates will vote
Tor Wood on the second ballot. So
there will be no weakness in the fact
mat the Massachusetts Wood dole
gates. or some of them, are probably
not suf1ic ently enthused to stick to the
general through deadlock.
There arc some astute politicians
nere who do not believe that Wood will
ne nominated, and they are laying
great stress on the fact that such a
s'rong candidate for delegate as Eben
j. 5. Keith, in General Woods home
district. the 10th, has declined to COM
init himself for the general. But there
fNA'sitidi VI pOiItiCdt CDSeTNeT
ncie but admits that general Wood
VIII have considerable majority of
me delegates on the second ballot The
vniy doubt Is as to their sticking quail
llles In the event the general should
not De nominated speedily.
apparently there is much more in
"rest mere in the battle to break the
ofgan'zation slate or the Big Four dele
Ss'es at large than there is in the
PRESIDENTIAL contest. The organization
NJ ~ big four candidates are ex-senator
W. Murray Crane, long the boss of the
s,ate and national committeeman; SEN
s'or Henry Cabot Lodge, Speaker Gill
ie't and Edward A. Thurston. former
.nalrman of the state committee. OF
,nese four, all except Mr.. Crane are
snown to be for Wood, and no one
snows where Crane stands.
Running Independently are ex-Gov-
efnor Samuel w. Mccall, Representa-
i've Alvin 7. Fuller, who was elected a
member OF the House as an Indepen-
1qent; Louis A. rockingham, former
Lieutenant Governor; Russell A. Wood
,rormerly party Progressive, and
thomas W. Lawson, OF "Frenzied
finance" fame. Mccall has said some
very nice things about Hoover's candi-
aScy, but in more recent statement
seemed inclined to Wood. His exact
POSITION is still IN some doubt. He is
expected to issue statement in few
Jays, and it is believed ne will not
some out strongly for either Wood or