Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-06-03
JOHNSON AGAINST
THE ENTIRE FIELD.
IN CHICAGO RACE
Bosses Would Like to Find Way
of Eliminating California
Menace.
WOOD AND LOWDEN
BOOMS NEAR COLLAPSE
From rodays New York World.

From Todays New York World.
Chicago, June 2-Such aspirants for
the Republican Presidential nomination
rs have not been soaped, bombed or
gassed up 10 the present time are beginning
to peer wistfully through the barrage OF
scandal that Is befogging the prospects
of their less fortunate rivals.
The disclosures before the Senate Cam
paign Fund Committee, have inflicted
serious, if not fatal injuries to the booms
of Gen. Wood and Gov Lowden, the two
leading scoutenders for the nomination.
The Wood balloon is steadily settling To-
ward the earth despite the frantic efforts
by unloading ballast.
The Lowden plane seems to be coming
down in nerve racklng tan spin that Is
thoroughly demoralizing to its supporters
The combination of bosses controlling
the rninstructed delegates that will con-
stitute a majority in the convention are
hOping that something terrible Will hap
pen to the Hiram johnson promotion,
which is the most formidable and danger
Gus of the dozen or so engaging the atten-
ton Of the speculatively inclined.
1t is now johnson against the field.
FRIGHT MAN" NOT PICKED YET.
The facts being brought out by the
Senate Committee at Washington IS
not all at disagreeable TO the vast majority
Of the professional mechanics IN the
Republican machine who hope and plan
TO dictate the nomination. Every shrink
age in the Wood balloon is hailed with
cheers. The punctures inflicted on the
Lowden boom by the leaders IN Missouri
and other States, occasions less JOY but
only little regret.
New groups and combinations are
being formed by such experts as Hitch
cock, King, Healing and all Of the Pen
rose heutenants, with a view of tying up
delegates. q ma contingent basis for pros
pectlye delivery when the right man
upon whom to pin the Presidential nomi-
nation is found, The dominant group
OF bosses working under direction Of
Alvin 7. Hertk the Kentucky leader,
who seems destined to play q most I'M
portant part In the future affairs OF the
Republican Party, haven't the ghost Of
an idea as to the identity Of the fortunate
citizen upon whom the nomination is to be
ultimately conferred.
The fact Is that little or no serious
effort has been made 70 find the victor
or the victim as the case may he. The
important fact is that the greater number
Of leaders that count for anything
in the counsels of the party are pretty
well convinced that neither Wood nor
Lowden will be nominated and that way
viii be found 10 shake off Hiram Johnson
When these three disturbing factors have
been eliminated-n they can be-then,
the various sleuthing groups will set
about the business Of finding the right
man.
JOHNSON WORRIES BOSSES.
The field appears to be wide open
As the stock Of Wood and Lowden declines
and hurdles are erected to stop Johnson,
there Is naturally lot Of talk about dark
horses, Harding. Sproul, Collidge, Hughes,
Allen, and IN fact, long string Of avail
ables. none Of whom seemed 10 have
chance week ago. Now every man OF
the requisite age who hash been tarred
with the same sort of stick that has
inflicted vital damage to Wood and Low
den, can get q lot Of profitable advertising
by announcing himself as a candidate for
the Presidential nomination Il he doesn
get anything else.
The tip telegraphed from Wall Street
that q dark horse would be chosen,
Is interpreted that the money Is going
to drop both Wood and Harding and try
to put over q nominee that viii he least
offensive to big business. The tip also car
RES with It the manifest inclination 10
"get johnson" meaning that the Wall
Street interests do not want the Cali
fornia Senator. Talking about getting
rid Of Johnson. however, Is a lot easier
than really getting nd Of him. Johnson
doesn't want TO be gotten rid OF and he
has plenty OF supporters to help him put
up the fight that Is expected TO follow
his advent into Chicago within the next
day or so.
His role Is something like that Of the
Lord High Executioner in the Mlkado.
In the words Of one Of the leaders who Is
opposed 10 him, johnson packs dirty
smoker snee,, The leaders who do not
want him frankly admit they are afraid
Of him, so they are trying to find way 10
dispatch him into the down and out club.
He Is conceded to hold the veto power
over the ultimate decision Of the conven-
ton regarding q candidate, even If he
fails to force this OWL nomination.
HOPE SOMETHING TO HAPPEN.
He is the one man from whom the
leaders fear reprisals They are con-
fident that Wood, Lowden and in fact
any Of the other aspirants can be chucked
into the discard without serious conse-
ouences 10 themselves, but when it comes
10 Johnson JHey are dpJfeIliIestFe u Si4c
results. Naturally they would like to get
rid Of him in peaceful way that will
involve no disaster to the party and them
selves. Covert and subtle predictions are
advanced that the Senate Campaign
Fund Committee viii hook johnson up
with Hearst IN the League Of Nations
fight and show his campaign has been
financed with money raised to promote
the cause Of Irish freedom. So far these
charges are yelled and based upon inferen-
tial. There is no availing evidence purely
circumstantial and proof to support them.
Johnson-s supporters who are begin
ming to wake up and initiate methods that
the late Col. Roosevelt adopted IN 1912,
scoff at the vague insinuations that come
from the rival camps, mainly from the
combination Of leaders who appear willing
to take almost anybody except him. They
have very good reason to justify then
belief that the California Senator is going
to insist on seeing every card turned from
the minute that he gets to Chicago until
the final ballot is recorded.
PENROSE'S ABSENCE WILL