Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-02-20
FEAR EXPLOSION
OF OVERGASSED
WOOD BALLOON
Many Believe Generals Boom
in Indiana Is Floating for
Big Air Hole.
LOWDEN MEN ARE QUIET

Just when is the Wood balloon going
to burst?
visit to candidates row. in the
Claypool hotel, where many and various
more or less hopeful members of the
grand old party are making their head
quarters, today brought out that In
nearly every Office this Is one of the prin-
cipal subjects of discussion. The Wood
headquarters itself was no exception.
Somehow the impression has got out
that the Wood boom is largely artificial -
said one OF the employed campaign
workers. "This is not true" he con-
cluded, as he handed an unsuspecting
voter, who had called to find out what 1t
was all about, a half dozen blank pc
titions, fifty circulars and as many cam
paign buttons,
In the opinion of many OF the hangers
on around the various headquarters and
elsewhere, the Wood boom is afflicted
with too many circulars, campaign but
tons and petitions. In other words. the
balloon Is filed with overheated atmOs
phere and is already leaking at the
seams.
THEN, TOO, THERE
IL THAT SORE THUMB.
Every day the headquarters hands out
a formal statement from some one or
other telling all about what a great mar
the general is how he saved the natioA
IN Cuba, how he won the world war and
how he has a sore thumb, which, even
with his boasted skill as a physician.
he has not been able to cure. The sore
thumb is not emphasized, but n great
deal more stress Is laid on the fact he
Is a physician. 1t Is this way-no ply
sician has ever been president. There
fore, one should be elected. No expla-
nation is made as to whether he Is ex-
pecting to administer an anasthetlc to
the peace treaty and thus painlessly re.
move some Of the things TO which Sena-
tor Lodge ct al are objecting or whether
he intends to use his skill to cure the
same outfit Of their many apparent Ills.
Anyway, a lot OF publicity IL being
given out. Some Of it is even being used
In one or two places. The Wood head
quarters is a very busy clearing house
for printed matter. but no endorsement
has vet been forthcoming from printers
who are drawing overtime to get 1t out.
"sIGN UP" FIRST
WORDS TO VISITORS.
Everybody calling at the headquarters
Is flrst asked to sign n petition. One
voter said he didn't believe be ought 10
sign another one as be had signed three
already. No announcement has been
made as to how many "repesters" there
are on the boasted long list Of signers Of
petitions
All this is simply to show that the
Wood balloon is largely filed with moth
ing more substantial than atmosphere
created by the man who discovered that
soap would float and others who have
money 20 burn" This process is heat
ing the atmosphere which Is threatening
10 burst the none too securely constructed
cover OF the balloon.
AT Lowden headquarters things are
moving quietly. few petitions are be
Ing sent out but no effort is being made
TO obtain large number Of signatures.
Ihe Lowden managers believe the pc
titions TO be Of no particular significance
and that they are merely a means OF
getting a candidates name on the ballot
Continued on Pago Twelvsl