The Washington times., 1920-06-02
WOOD ELIMINATED,
c. 0.P. .CH|EFSSAY
Leaders at Chicago>Admit Race
Is Now Between Johnson
and Gov. lowden.
CONTINUED from First Pags.)


OF Woods campaign. and is now for
Johnson. nits about from one com
mlueeman to another, putting In
ever IL would tst~et q little hsrus 10
Woods iatere.t.. At the same time
ne continues To be on friendly terms
win Frank Hitchcock. and they greet
esch other pleasantly whenever they
pass. 4,
The Lowden boosters were around
last night with yarn to the effect
that that II was "all fixed" Tor Low
den' that Wood would be out OF the
running after the second or third
ballot, and that the Wood delegates
would then get on the band wagon for
Lowden. The rumor went so far as
10 say that Hitchcock was endeavor-
ing TO form a secret alliance with
Lowden In the direction OF delivering
all the Wood delegates to Lowden II
his own candidate should be elimi'
mated.
] rm In . position to say that there
is not one bit Of truth In the report.
which was evidently put out by the
Lswden boosters In an effort 10 stnrt
n band wagon rush In kis direction.
The truth of the sitsatIon IL TINT
thr feeling between the Lowdeu una
the Wood force. In becoming SO seute
that IL Is unlikely any Of the Wood
delegates would go 20 Lowden 80 long
M there remained the chance Of
nominating anyone else. Msre Of
them will Ro to Johnson than 20 Low
den II II should come 20 direct con-
test between the two.
May Swing To Johnsen.
On the basis OF information re-
eelveA vAnIAhl@ and
confidential sources closely allied with
the Wood management IT In not too
much TO say that IIItckepcK .hi,nseif
may be found in the open for Joh n.
son rather than for LOwd~n II Wood
II out of the nxht. That he could
swing a large number OF delegates
over to Johnson Is undisputed.
The Johnson managers have had no
dealings with Hitchcock nor with any
OF the other Wood managers, and u
may not be necessary. The Wood
management Is out to get Lowden.
and II no other way can be found to
accomplish this than by going to
Johnson they will find themselves do
ing IL.
One Of the most surprising features
Of the whole contest is the almost
unanimous view held by Republican
leaders here that General Wood can
not be nominated. 1t Is not because
the Senate committees investigation
showed the expenditure of enormous
sums OF money in Woods behalf, nor
is ii because the "Old Guard" leaders
object to the manner in which Woods
campaign was promoted without their
assistance or cooperation.
1t is chiefly because Of the very
general doubt that Wood could be
nl fnd hn TO- ~.
sentiment has been spread assiduous-
ly by national committeeman and
delegates arriving here from the
Western States.
West Against Military Man.
The talk these gentlemen are hand
ing out is that the West will not sup
port a military candidate and that
Woods nomination would make a de-
freat for the party inevitable. go
The doubt ms to the possibility of
Woods nomination exists even
among the generals own mana&eru.
Some of these men, particularly those
closest to Frank Hitchcock, will tell
you privately that Wood hasn't n
chance.
They complain bitterly of the way
the campaign has been mishandled,
meaning by this to throw the blame
of failure upon Col. William Cooper
Proctor, who was made commander
in-chief of the Wood forces over-the
protests Of Hitchcock and his imme-
diate associates.
One can listen for fifteen minutes
to any of Hitchcock's aides and hear
the General and the Colonel called
more harsh names than have ever
been applied by any Of the rival can
didates in the CamDaign.
This inharmony among the Wood
management itself spells defeat for
his candidacy, and the General him
self is apparently doing nothing to
prevent it from spreading. The men
closest to him in the fight are Colonel
Proctor and Senator Moses, neither of
whom has had any general expert
ence in national political contests.
Hitchcock is devoting all his time
to an effort to save as many of his
hand-picked delegates from the South