Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-26
C. 0. P. ASP|RANTS
GOING TO THE MAT
IN SEVERAL STATES
Primaries to Express Prefer
enCe This Week-PoIiticians
Watch Wood and Johnson.
BY n. o. MESSENGER.


They are going to the mat this
week-these republican aspirants for
the presidential nomination-in pri-
maries which will express preference
for candidates in several important
states. Gen. Leonard Wood will try
to take fall out of several adver-
saries, "one down. tother up
In New Jersey it is fight for his
life which Gen. Wood must wage with
Senator Hiram Johnson In Ohio. 1t
is an effort by Gen. Wood to. weaken
Senator Harding. but with no expec-
tation of carrying the state for him
self. In Massachusetts he expects to
win. Gov. Coolidge being regarded as
in reality the states choice only in
case of the elimination Of Gen. Wood
at Chicago. In Washington and Idaho
the struggle is for second choice, as
Senator Poindexter and Senator Be-
rah are expected to hold their re-
spective states.
johnson Appeal I'm Maryland.
In Maryland, while the primaries do
not come off until next week, the big
contest is going on this week. with
the whirlwind campaign through
Maryland of Senator Hiram Johnson,
whose object is to split the state with
Gen. Wood. Senator Johnson will
make his appeal for support mainly in
the industrial section of western
Maryland and in Baltimore, where
Gen. Woods supporters will fight him.
meanwhile Tightening up the gen.
erals hold upon the eastern shore
and the agricultural regions.
AS soon as the results Of tomorrow's 5
q or0 I;x:4 I
leaders here will weigh them in their
relation to the general situation. The
primaries this week and next week are
by no means decisive, but are important
in their bearing upon the plans of some
Of the leaders who are trying to stop"
Gen. Wood in his onsweeping march
ahead Of all the other candidates. in
the securing of actual votes, but who,
at the same time. do not want Senator
johnson to get such a lead as might
bring him the nomination at Chicago.
Senator Harding and Ohio.
To Senator Harding. the result in
Ohio will be all important. II his op-
ponent, Gen. Wood, should win a con-
it is recognized that Senator Harding's g
prestige before the convention and the
country at large would be weakened
and his friends in other states would
The old-line leaders here will, it is
said, note with deep interest the vote
polled by Senator Johnson in New Jer-
sey tomorrow and in Maryland next
Monday. II 1t is considerable in
csrn. for 1t will be regarded al indica-
tive OF the progress Of radical ideas in
the east, and win cause them at once.
ID 10 declared, to begin to pay attention
to Senator JoAnD0n's progress ~ 4 10.
t6ntiA1 Aspirant for the republican nom
ination.
Jehnson's Eject ON Platform.
The rank and file Of the republicans
of the middle and eastern. states are
not prepared, 1t Is said, to follow SEN
ator Johnson in his views classed as
radical on some public questions, in
cluding his irreconcilability to the
league of nations. If he goes to Chi
cago with an aggregation of delegates,
gathered even as minority in states
outside OF Michigan, Nebraska, Mon
tana and California, he may make
trouble for the conservatives over the
platform. 1t Is not contemplated that
he can command sufficient strength to
be nominated, but he can assuredly, it
is said. make his presence felt at the
and especially as to the
platform.
On his radical platform. he is ex-
pected to be backed up by the Wiscon-
sin delegation, under control of Sena-
tor La Toilette. although he may not
necessarily get Wisconsin's vote for
the presidential nomination. The un-
here is that Wisconsin will
vote for Senator La Toilette for the
unless that leader decides
to transfer the votes to another.
Maryland's vote next Monday as be-
tween Wood and Johnson will be
with unusual interest by the
old-line politicians. as showdown
between the conservatives and So
called radical elements Of the repub-
lican party.