New-York tribune., 1920-04-19
Palmer Boom
Wanes, Georgia
Appeal Shows
Attorney Generals Mana.
gers Issue Statement That
His Defeat There Would
Be Wilson Reputation
Shocks Other Candidates
Tide in Six Big States, In
voIving 100 Delegates,
Seems Turning to McAdoo
BY Carter Field

From The Tribarc's Washington Bureau
WASHINGTON, April IS. Admins
tration leaders outside the Palmer
camp were shocked tonight at state
smcnt nut odt from >Palmer-for- Presi-
.aent headquarters, declaring that de-
fsat % Palmer in the Georgia primary
Tuesday would be reputation by the
worsia democracy of the Wilson Ad-
3nistratior.
The Palmer statement IS very pessi-
mistic in tone, commenting at length
on ;he difficulty OF defeating SEN
ftor in his own state, thus apparently
tonceding IN advance the likelihood of
Senator Hoke Smith defeating Palmer
and capturing the twenty-eight dele
gates 70 the San Francisco convention.
No one here has any serious doubt
that Smith will win the Georgia prl-
mary, and further there is no doubt
in any ones mind that a Smith victory
will be repudiation of the Admins
tration, iuasmueh as Smith is running
on just one plank-the ratification of
me peace treaty with the Lodge reser-
vations whereas in his speeches in
the state Palmer consistently sup
ported every phase of the Wilson
Administration. But Wilson sup
porters were shocked at the badness
of the Palmer announcement and il is
understood that the President himself
resents Mr.. Palmer thus putting Presi,
dent Wilson in a hole in advance.
Palmer Backers Desperate
The theory here is that the Palmer
hackers have grown desperate in the
H.
they have received, and at the rising
strength apparently of William G. Nc
Adoo.
The first of the bad bumps for Pal
mer was in the Michigan primary. He
ran last there, despite Judge Con-
neliy's backing. Hoover polling a ma
jority of the Democratic votes. and
Bryan. Edwards and McAdoo all run
ming ahead of Palmer
Next came North Carolina, where the
ways had been CREASED for Palmer,
especially with McAdoo urging for un-
instructed delegates Senator Sim
ever, and the delegates are instructed
for him. This is understood here to be
a move directly in McAdoos behalf,
and it is believed that the Old North
States twentv-four votes have been
lost to the Attorney General.
Then came Iowa. whose twenty-six
delegates are believed to be sewed up
for Palmer by Wilbur ". Marsh, ma
tional committeeman. one of the origi-
nal Palmer men. The state conference
actually state tion-in nstruct-
ed the delegates for Secretary of Agri-
culture Z. t. Meredith, after Marsh had
announced in advance he would stand
by the instruction. When the an
rouncement was made. of course, Marsh
expected an instruction for Palmer.
Meredith fer atcAdoo
The Tribune correspondent is able
70 state for the first time on unques-
toned authority THAI Secretary Mere
dith is for McAdoo. He is also able to
state that the move to instruct for
Meredith was move III behalf Of Nc
Adoo and against Palmer.
ably goaded into making the pessimistic
statement deploring the condition in
Georgia by the news from Virginia,
where it has developed that the in
struction of the twenty-four delegates
for Senator Carter Glass was really
a move for McAdoo and against Palmer,
Perhaps the greatest loss sustained
so far by the Palmer forces, however,
was in the death last week of Roger
c. Sullivan. absolute dictator of the
Democratic party in Illinois. Had Mr..
Sullivan lived the fifty-eight votes of
Illinois would have been cast for
Palmer, SO long as there was any
chance Of his nomination.
100 Delegates Involved
AS the six states nvolved-Virglnia,
North Carolina, Iowa, Georgia, Illinois
and Mich gan-have a total of 100 dele
gates. the Importance to Palmer's