The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-04-26
Do Not Like the Develop.
ment of Johnson Strength
y Among Republicans
FEAR DETECTION
OF PARTY STRENGTH
Looks as Though Hoover Is Only Man
Who Could Keep Defeated Johnson
Men In Line After Convention -
Is Sound On Treaty.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Copyright by The Reformer.

y
WASHINGTON, April 26.-Republ
can politics is just now undergoing the
metamorphosis that a few primary elec-
tons always bring in the weeks imme
diately preceding a national election.
The leaders and politicians are liter
ally up in the air They may look wise
much perplexed over the future as the
average observer This in itself is signi-
ticant of change. Months ago, it was
any Republican to win But with sheer
force of personal appeal, Senator Hiram
johnson Of California has demonstrated
in a remarkably short time that his
following is no accidental thing nor
| ephemeral grouping of elements in the
Republican party His campaign has
drawn to his standard certain groups
| which show uncomfortable signs of re
| voting from the Republican party if
| their wishes do not prevail. The people
! who took the trouble to 90 the pri-
maries and write the senator : name
| in on the ballot are strongly suspected
| of something more than a passing al
| legiance to what Hiram johnson has
! been preaching. From the viewpoint
Of the Democrats and friends OF the
| White House, they constitute the indi-
| viduals who want to keep the treaty
from being revived or the league of ma
lions from being established with or
without reservations.
As johnson grows, the Democrats
grow jubilant. They see the Senator
from California developing definite
lines of cleavage. They have main
tanned from the beginning that the Re-
publican party wanted neither treaty
nor league, and the vote given Johnson
has enabled the Democrats to point "a
.Iohnson's views as the prevalent
thought ToB the7 railS and fife 81 The Be!
publican party This fits in with Pres
ident Wilson s desire to make the
treaty an issue and to brush aside the
Republican argument that Mr.. Wilson
would not accept the Lodge reserva
tons The President has looked upol
Senator Johnson as representing thu
opposition to the treaty and in order Il
give the next election the character
"of a solemn referendum his hop,
is naturally that Senator johnson vii
| win the Republican nomination.
| But Brother Johnson ism t altogethe
satisfactory to the conservatives in til,
Republican party. They accuse him O
| radiealism. His friends respond tina
| Hiram Is a liberal and n safe one a
| that-and if the Republicans don t TAX
johnson they are likely to get a Dem
| ocrat radical which is supposed to b,
| worse fate than would he in stor,
for the country if the California sen
| ator were elected
The Republican leaders. however
| know very well that the extreme view
of Johnson on the peace treaty woult
be embarrassing for if he were the nom
neP it would remove the cry for tn
Lodge reservations Senator johnson
voted against them all So as johnson
| develops, the Republicans must fin,
some man who "stands right on tn
treaty issue. Governor Lowden. Leon
| ard Wood, Senator Harding-all wantet
- the Lodge reservations to accompan
America s entrance into the league. Blu
, IL offset johnson, somebody must b
= brought forth who can carry the West
someone who is also Il progressive an
someone who ism t too closely affiliate
with eastern Repnblicanisfn That
what is giving the Hoover supporter
encouragement They point to Hcl
bert Hoover as progressive Republ
can and a westerner. The Califomi
primaries will show that he Ia
strength in both parties The NOR
Johnson appears as the 'menaceA' t
conservative Republicans. the more nee
. essary will it be to pick someone VIII
= can prevent johnson from forming
> third party. Hoover is popular outsi(