The Birmingham age-herald., 1920-04-11
REPUBLICAN, BOSSES
 PLAYING SHREWD GAME

Washington, April 1o.-(Speeial.)- The Michigan result marks the begin ming of the end of the once inspiring
 boom for General Wood. but not the bulging of an irresistible tide for
 Hiram Johnson. according to. belief in best posted republican circles in Wash ington.
 The result was attributed to the on slaughts of Senator Borah regarding the expenditure of money for campaign purposes in state the people of whom were still mortified by the disclosures in the Newberry scandal That its ef- feet will rebound to the interest of the "standpat'' wing, that headed by Sem ator Penrose, is confidently believed. And as matter of fact, the average republican of knowledge and standing in the east declares since the Michigan primary that the odds now favor the nomination of Senator Harding of Ohio.
 The policy of the ''standpat" leaders has been, it has seemed, to permit the "progressives," Wood and Johnson, to destroy themselves With that task completed, it was their contention that it would not be necessary for them, the aforesaid "standpat" leaders, to do the work. And thus, according to their programme in the end Wood would hate Johnson and Johnson would hate Wood whereas were the animosity of either directed against Penrose another break similar to that of 1912 would be eminent if not unavoidable.
 Up to ethe present time, the bosses have played their cards with conSum- mate skill. But the time approaches when they must show their hand. They must get actually into the fight. It re- mains to be seen whether in the initial stages their cunning has been exhaust ed. If it has, and bungling results, there may be another spit. Otherwise, Harding will be put over in a love feast, sand, according to their ideas, easily elected.
 Senator Penrose, after a long illness. recuperates in Florida. He will leave that state April Il, it is announced, and will go immediately to Pennsylvania. It will be his first business to deter mine whether to continue the candidacy of Governor Sproul, who is a presiden- tial candidate. but not a presidential possibility, just as Hoke Smith Is re- garded in Georgia, or substitute more likely candidate. For General Wood has entered the Pennsylvania pri- mary and Senator Penrose will elimi- nate him, painlessly, if possible.
 It will be his next business to put Governor Lowden over in Illinois. Gen. eral Wood is a candidate in that state. Governor Lowden would win easily, it is said, but for the questioning atti- tude of Mayor Thompson of Chicago, who during the war was called pro- German, but who in this emergency criticises the 'Americanism" of Low den. But the defeat of Wood is pre- dicted generally and his subsequent defext in Ohio at the hands of Senator Harding is regarded as a foregone con- clusion.
 By that time Wood will be making charges against Penrose, or will still be attributing his lack of success to Senator Johnson. The fate of the re- publican party in convention is said to be dependent on the direction in which the bitterness and disappoint- ment of Wood asserts itself.
 The one other element with which republican bosses concern themselves is that represented by Herbert Hoover. Neither party would regard Hoover seriously, it is claimed, but for the fact that he seems to be as strong with one as the other, and strong with both. Hoover cannot be thrown into the scrap heap, it is argued, as long there is danger that the party which throws him will see him taken up by the other party and elected. Hoover is the great problem. And there are very strong men in the east woh declare without equivocation that Hoover among all the candidates seems most certain of being the next President of the United States.
 Hoover will assert himself directly in the California primary. His strength is so great that the Johnson following is seriously frightened. Should he carry California, and eliminate John- son, the angles would become so innu- merable and so complicated that they could scarcely be pursued and analysed. But until he does positively prove his strength, the idea will prevail that the bosses still hold the whip hand