Evening star., 1920-02-22

- week just ended has been
in character much like that
Of the preceding week.
Dispatches to The Star from its
special correspondents indicate
that almost everywhere there is an
1itica]. but there have been no out
standing developments during the
week which would seem to evil
dence any marked change in the
general situation.
Democrats everywhere, apparent
1y. are slower getting into action
than are the republicans, but the
causes of democratic tagging are
the same as have existed since the
beginning of the year. chief among
them being lack of knowledge as to
President Wilson's wishes and in
tentions. Return of Mr.. Wilson to
more active participation in af-
fairs has served to accentuate
rather than to remove this handi-
cap to democratic activity So long
as doubt remained whether the
President would be able to take
an active part in the pre-conven-
tion campaign there was a tend
ency among some democratic
leaders to assume that he was out
of the reckoning. No one has the
temerity to assume today that
the President is not to be reckon
ed with.
x x x
The race for the republican presi-
Dental nomination gets hotter day
by day, without much change in
the relative positions of the can
didates. Wood and Lowden appar-
entity are still well out in front,
setting the pace and running on al
most even terms. with the rest of
the field more or less punched sew
eral lengths behind Disposition Of
those who follow the pacemakers
seems to be to wait for one or the
other of the leaders to "blow up"
and then to go out and challenge
the survivor.
published in this mornings Star
shows that in almost every state
where the republican contest has
reached the acute stage it is Wood
and Lowden who are the chief con-
testants. Gov. Lowden spent a part
OF the week campaigning in South
Dakota. and as result of receptions
accorded him his followers in that
state are chockful of confidence
that at the preferential primary
on March 23 he will get the solid
delegation. But Gen. Wood is
scheduled to tour South Dakota
the coming week and the Wood
men refuse to concede that there
is any swing in the direction of
state just completed gave a vote
of 4s7 for Lowden and 67 for
Wood. while second-choice pref +
erences were: Johnson, 1872, and
Wood. 20. The Lowden managers
are making a great deal Of this
poll, but the number of votes cast
was so small that the result is not
server.
In Minnesota the Lowden and
Johnson booms took on new leases.
according to dispatch from ST.
Paul. but the statewide poll of
county officials being conducted
by the st. Paul Pioneer-Press con-
tinues to show Wood far in the
lead, Lowden standing second and
Johnson third. Hoover continues
to lead as the democratic choice
but the democratic vote is COM
paratively small.
Delaware is a small state. but
it's politics is of the Donnybrook
Fair variety. and a lot Of political
heads stand a chance of being
cracked in the fight which is de-
veloping between the Wood and
Lowden factions. The regulars"
are for Wood and the "inde-
pendents" for I.owden. and it is
toss-up as to which will be able
to control the delegation. From
Charleston it is reported that in
West Virginia a strong republican
drift toward Wood has set in. de-
spite the fact that Senator Suth-
erland is at least a receptive can
didate for the republican nomina-
tion.
In Indiana the movement launched
during the week to place the name
of Herbert Hoover on the ticket to
be voted at the republican prefer
entail primary in May has still fur
ther complicated an already much
mixed situation. An Indianapolis
dispatch says it is reported that
Gov. Goodrich is behind the Hoover
movement, not SO much because he
favors Hoover. but because he wants
as many candidates as possible to
enter, thereby diminishing chances