New-York tribune., 1920-06-07
Sentiment Growing That
ulinoisan Could Not Be
Elected Even if Given
Presidential Honors
Johnson Slated to
Be Shelved First
Old Guard, Determined
to Beat Wood, Hopes to
Substitute a Dark Horse
By Carter Field

CHICAGO, June 6.-Governor
Lowden's chances for the Presiden-
tial nomination dropped again to-
day, after temporary boom, with
the arrival of many important Re-
publican leaders and a series of con-
ferences. The general impression Is
becoming fixed that it will be un-
wise to nominate him in the face of
the Missouri disclosures.
Lowden lost twenty votes on the
first ballot, when the Oklahoma dele
cation, which had been solidly for
him, decided to vote for Jake Hamon.
Hamon will be placed in nomination
for the Presidency by ex-Represent-
ative Bird Mcclure.
Senator Lodge, who is to be tenn
porary chairman of the convention
and may be permanent chairman,
held long conference to-day with
ex-senator W. Murray Crane, and
Mr.. Crane then talked with Philsi-
delphia-presumably with Senator
Penrose.
The impression obtained by state
leaders who conferred with the Mas
sachusetts men seemed to be that
Lowden had been harder hit by the
Missouri disclosures than is appre-
ciated in Chicago. This seems espe-
cially true in the East, men arriving
from New England and New York
being much more impressed than
delegates from, nearby states.
Lodge for V;ce.preside~s
Senator Lodge will be nominated
for Vice-President by the Oregon
delegation, it was decided at its
meeting tonight One of the SEN
sations of the meeting was the an
nouncement by Walter McCamant,
one OF the delegates instructed to
vote for Johnson, that he would not
vote for johnson but would vote for
Wood on the first ballot. The dele
cation decided to appeal to the Gre
dentials committee to have Nc
Camant ousted.
Save for Senator Lodge General
Wood has few friends among the So
called leaders of the party. Most of
them are determined to beat Wood if
possible. The line of strategy mapped
out at conferences to-day, however,
provides for killing off johnson frs,
and this course seems bound to give
the friends Of the general wonderful
opportunity to drive the convention to
him as solution of the tangled snarl
which has developed.
The plan of what may be called, for
want of better term, the "Old Guard"
leadership, most of which has been for
Lowden, has been to kill off both Wood
and Johnson. This plan stands whether
Lowden is to be sacrificed or not. There
has been no turning from Lowden to
Wood on the part of this group of lead
crs. In fact, they are standing pat
somewhat impressed by what they have
been told by the newly arriving East
erners.
They want, if they are compelled to
throw Lowden overheard, dark horse
substituted. They will take Wood only
if he is rammed down their throats.
Their objections to Johnson are al
most as strong as to Wood on the part
of some, and a little stronger on the
part of others.
Lowden Prestige CrumbIes
The important Lowden men in this
group, to be specific, are A. r.
Hert, of Kentucky, who practically con-
trolls his delegation; Jake Hamon. of
Oklahoma, who practically controls
his; Bascom Slemp. of Virginia. wso
dominates his state machine: John =:
Adams, of Iowa, and sprinkling of
others. Working close with them are
such men as John T. King. who was
general manager for General Wood
until last January, and who is now
more interested in defeating him thar
anything else.
King was willing to join with the
Lowden men and put the Illinois Gov
crnor over, it being generally consid-
cred that King represented Penrose In
this plan, and that the Pennsylvania
delegation of seventy-six would prae-
tically all be delivered to LowdAn.
Then came the Missouri disclosures.
the crumbling prestige for Lowden
and the announcement by two big
Missouri leaders that they did not he,