The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-06-10
REAL FIGHT HAS
 SWITCHED BACK
 ID THE LEAGUE Centered on Whether Party Is to Declare Against the League or for It With
 Reservations

Reservations
 By Associated Press . Chicago, June 9.-While the republican national con- held it's daily routine sessions and the managers of the candidates continue to hustle and hope and predict, the real fight for the moment has switched back to the League of Nations.
 It centers on the question of whether the republican party is going to de- clare fIatly against the League of Ma tions or whether 1t is going to declare for a league with reservations.
 While the delegates were assembling in the Coliseum today to make Senator Lodge and the remainder of the tenn porary organization the permanent one. and to hear norning more excit- ing than prayer and speech by M. Depew, the League of Nations fight was being carried on in the quiet of committee room down. town, where a dozen men representing the reservationists and the irreconcil- ables were gathered about a table.
 The irreconciIables swear they
 will fight to the last ditch to pre-
 vent the republican party from go-
 ing before the country with any
 sort of nm Endorsement of the leaKue
 idea. and thus become 'the tail to
 
 ator Johnson himself puts 1t. The
 element opposed to them argue it
 will be sorry thing for the party
 if their views prevail.
 PROGRAMME UPSET
 So involved has the fight become, and so indefinite are the prospects of it's end. that the programme for the convention tomorrow Is upset and thrown into doubt
 It meets at Il o'clock and has noth- the resolutions committee, adopt q ing before 1t but to hear the report of platform and nominate candidates.
 One plan has been proposed to skip the platform until the committee is ready tc report and go ahead with the speeches. Those who pro- pose it maintain it Is the purpose to do so under the rules of today, which provide for unfinished business" at the bottom of the list of procedure They contend the platform should be the unfinished business and the convention could get the nomina- tions out of the way without remain ing Idle while the resolutions commit tee fights out the league issue.
 The Wood and Lowden people par express themselves as unal- terabIy opposed to that plan of pro- cedure.
 WOOD WOULD OBJECT
 It could of course. be done under a suspension of the rules, which would require unanimous consent but the Wood people say they will object to 1t.
 A recess while the resolutions com mittee works seems to be the one so- lution.
 While all this Is going on, the
 Knox boom has been revived. and during the day 1t, of all the dark
 horse booms, seemed to have some
 new momentum. always taking
 into consideration the common
 idea thnt the convention will turn
 to other fields if Johnson, Lowden
 and Wood fail to show strength
 promising a majority soon after
 the first few ballots.
 One story being told in connection with it was characterized by Senator Johnson. through one of his iieuten- ants. as absolutely ridiculous" but was much discussed.
 This story ran that if no nomination were reached up to the fifth ballot Senator Johnson would lay his candi- dacy aside. if the convention would grant to him and Sentaor Borah un- limited time to discuss the candida cies and pre-convention campaign ex- LON "a other angle of the story was that Senator Knox would be brought out as a candidate at that juncture. Cou- pied with the general knowledge of close friendship between Senators Johnson and Knox and their irrecon- cilable position together against a league in any form this story fur nished the most interesting piece of gossip of the day, although 1t was thrown down by Senator Johnson.
 JOHNSON NOT DISTURBED
 Wood talk, which began running in a stronger tide last night, seemed not to disturb the Johnson managers. 4 of a dozen or more John- son advisers late today. 1t was said. decided on a policy of attempting no trades or alliances until the start of a break from Wood or Lowden. for Wnltn they ilcPC. iiANt' 'NAs->>6st " was explained was to leave the Wood and Lowden forces to carry on their own contest and leave the Johnson forces. ready to take advantage of any weakness which might develop.
 The Johnson advisers also predict there will be no hurried break of John- son instructed delegates away from the senator after they have per formed their obligation by voting for him on the first ballots.
 Reports that Johnson instructed delegates from Michigan were ready to swing to another candidate if John son failed in the first few ballots. put the Johnson managers at work start ting backfires at home. and some of the Michigan delegates were said to be getting telegrams informing them they were expected to stick to the 
 The senator's advisers said they were confident he could hold his deie- gates until he released them.
 Johnson leaders. too. it was said, were working to convince the large of eastern business mon who have gathered here favoring other that Senator Johnson Is not the radical and dangerous man te' business interests that ne has beer They hope that if they