Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-06-09
His Forces Elated ThOurh Drift of Talk iS 10
 Lowden
FORCES ARE
 EAGER FOR THE TEST
Quick Succession of Ballots Is Hoped for in O-hcr to Crack the In- struetcd Support of Wood
 and Johnson

Chicago, June B. Tho Wood forces are clatcd tonight, although the gene ral trend of the talk among old line political leaders is toward Lowdeu. They won Il victory in the principal business transacted.
 Instructed Wood delegates won the | two most important committee chair manships Senator Watson of Indiana for resolutions and Edward D. Duf- field of New Jersey for credentials. | Frank II. Hitchcock was designated by the Wood delegates as their su- preme strategist.
 "Thnk of the psychological effect of this victory" he sad, when asked where and how he expected Wood to benefit from these steps in organiza- tion.
 "We controlled the committees against powerful opposition, almost solid anti ood forces" MT. Hitch- cock added. "So far as increasing our total number of delegates is concern ed the selection of Mir Duffield over ] Charles II. lnnes of Massachusetts, is ! of small moment We will make no effort to overturn the work of the national committee on contests. To | do so would overturn the work of the national committee on contests. To do so would prejudice the Wood cause and l have given our forces instruc- tions not to do so. No rough stuff will come from us, but we are glad to be able to show that the majority of the committee on credentials, and also of resolutions is not against Wood l"
 While these developments were talk ,ing place tho drift of the talk, and it may be nothing more, was trending toward Lowden.
 1 It was kept going by the old line party leaders, men who were leaders { in former conventions when they made presidential nominations, but whether it is sufficiently potent to affect the delegates, opposed to Wood or Johnson they do not profess to know themselves. The program, if it can be so called, is first to establish to the satisfaction of unstructed del- egates and those only instructed as a compliment to men who have failed to make further headway, that neither Wood nor Johnson can get enough to win. Some of these leaders are said to be willing to put Lowden in the same list.
 Eager for Test
 With less than half the delegates sewed up with instructions, which ! T aI1 the desires of the men bound by them, the sponsors for the L0wden talk advocates Il rapid succession of ballots to produce as quickly as can be done honorably cracking of in- structed support. Those who are talk ing Lowden say they believe the dis integration will begin with Johnson and Wood forces. It is not clear why they profess not to feap that Low den will be affected in the same way.
 One reason behind the willingness of these Lowden advocates to take all the risks that necessarily accom- pany efforts to upset instructions is said to be that the supporters of Low- den would be satisfied with any con- servative, who can be nominated and have a harmonious party behind him, whether it be Harding, Sproul, Knox, Coolidge or some one who has not yet figured conspicuously
 | Let's have the test" they say. No ,one has had any particular advantage so far. If we cannot win with Lowden we shall try another
 In contrast to MT. Hitchcock's state- ment Governor Lowden and Senator Johnson expressed their views of the situation in the following statement:
 "The reports coming to us today make us very optimistic and am en- tirely satisfied with the situation" said Governor Lowden.
 I Senator Johnson said:
 q have an abiding confidence in the ultimate result. feel very certain that this convention, in view of all that has transpired will recognize the expressed popular choice of the rank and file of the republican. party. Men would be unwise, even recreant to the party, in their positions as trustees for it's members, if they did not re- cognize the choice"
 Those talking for Lowden acknowl- edge that they want to head off the nomination of General Wood. The Johnson people in turn declare that both the Wood and Lowden managers are doing everything they can to cor ral Johnson delegates.
 The fight tonight is concededly to weaken both the Wood and Johnson forces and turn the gains to Lowden. Whether it will succeed remains for the convention itself to decide. 1 This in brief, sums up the, situation as it refers to the big three.
 Mir. Hitchcock said he had heard cf the claims that Wood delegates would