The Washington herald., 1920-04-17

militaristic vote and the vote of the
Non-Partisan League of farmers,
which is openly arrayed upon his
side.
JOhnson's Appeal Personal.
Johnson is putting no delegate
ticket into the field. His appeal is
purely personal. II he carries the
State, he will have no delegation
at his command after the first per-
functory ballot. in accordance with
the law. But success here would
be OF great moral assistance to him
in the California primaries next
month, which will afford the cru
cial test Of his Presidential pros-
poets. He has accordingly put forth
his most strenuous efforts, and has
been strongly seconded by his SEN
atorial associates, Norris and Bo-
rah.
His meetings have been large and
enthusiastic, and his oratory of the
perfervid type that seems to stand
radicals in good stead. The sup
porters of his two advefsaries are
quoting with something more than
qufet indignation his description or
those-ewo. soldiers as -patrioteers
hiding their sores under the ma
tion's uniform"
The Johnson campaign has been
frankly addressed to the forces of
discomfort, and it seems to have
been effective. In other States his
success has been largely among the
labor element in large industrial
cities. as in Detroit. But here he
seems to be manifesting equal
strength in the farming districts.
To very great extent this is due
to the activity of the Non-Partisan
League, which here, as in South Da-
kota, is strongly for him. Its vot-
ing strength is estimated at about
10000.
Teutonic Element Strong.
The pro-German element in Ne
braska is strong, and has hitherto
been largely Democratic. 1t Topped
over to the Republicans during the
war, and is with them still, although
the Democratic veer toward a wet
policy Is being relied upon by mem
bers of that party to coax the Ger
mans back. The present outlook is
that as a force in the primaries 1t
will be for Johnson.
1t is a matter worth noting that
very little of the Johnson oratory
here has ben directed towards de-
fense of his attitude upon the Treaty
and the league of nations. This is
the more remarkable when It is re-
membered that this is the State of
Senator Hitchcock, whose position
on these issues is the very anti
thesis of that Of johnson and who
is seeking the Democratic. Presi-
Dental endorsement. But the Cali
fornia Senator seems to have de-
termined upon the policy of basing
his own candidacy upon appeals to
social and economic discomfort and
to race prejudice. Whatever the re-
suit of a campaign of this sort for
the nomination may prove to be,
many prominent Republicans are
expressing the opinion that it will
form very bad record on which to
go to the country in November.
While the forces of Gen. Wood
by no means admit defeat, 1t Is
evident that they are not overcon-
fident It was reported a day or
two ago that a deal had been made
between the Wood and johnson
managers for a division Of dele
gates
HowelPs influence Seen.
This is strenuously denied by
both camps, and 1t seems probable
that the rumor arose from certain
man.rvers planned by the present
Republican national committee
man, r. B. Howell. to retain his
position, whichever force should win.
But in any event a solid delega-
tion from this State cannot be fg-
ured upon for more than two or
three ballots at the most. There
are men, who are for Wood on the
Pershing ticket, and Pershing men
set down for Wood. When the
inevitable break comes, the votes
VIII ny like shrapnel.
The bitterness Of this ante-con-
vention campaign proceeds from the
fact that the friends of each can
didete see in it q prize beyond the
mere thirty delegates which Ne
braska possesses. To the Wood men
1t affords an opportunity to break
the record of failure which, in Illi-
nois and Michigan, has greatly dis
couraged. their following. To John
son victory will be made of incal-
culable value in the California
primaries. while for Gen. Pershing
the Nebraska delegation is essen