The Washington times., 1920-05-25
.G.O.P.DEPENDS.
upon PENROSE.
His Threatened Absence From
Convention Aids Plan to
! Stampede Delegates.
ny WILLIAM PHILIP siMms.
International News Ervie~.

I.ternattoaAl News Grvtc~.
Two weeks from today the @. o. T.
eouvention opens at Chicago, yet SO
Ebefogged Is the situation that politi-
,esl leaders here contend that, as they
view IL, more depends upon the state
of bodily health OF Senator Boise
sPenrose Of Pennsylvania than upon
tslmost any other one factor.
II the leader of the Republican Old
Guard is too i'll TO attend the big
caucus, as some claim he Is, the
chances are, according to the grow
ing belief here, the nominee VIII be
entirely different from the one chosen
III he is not too III TO make the trip.
OLD Guard CI.i. Control.
=. II is the claim of the old-line Re-
publicans that they will be in control
at the Chicago convention and their
plain that ne favors the candidacy OF
neither Herbert Hoover. Senator
johnson nor OF General Wood.
But supposing the Senator from
Pennsylvania. Is prevented by his
physicians from making the journey
30 the Windy City, and the Old Guard
faction of the G.. o. Il. is left without
fits customary leader, what then? Wise
ones here assert in answer to this
query that the chances of a stampede
TO a candidate other than the one
sPenrose would favor Is quite on the
card, and they give their reasons.
At least three candidates for the
nomination, they point out. are al
ready planning for a quiek coup at
Chicago. looking toward something in
fthe nature of a stampede. The three
most frequently mentioned in this
connection are General Wood. Senator
johnson and Herbert Hoover.
OF these IL is considered that Gen
eral Wood would have the advantage
because of his nationally organized
smachine functioning under the lead
tership of Frank III. Hitchcock. former
Postmaster General under President
Taft.
But two Republican organizations
are in operation at the present time,
the one headed by Senator Penrose,
the other by Hitchcock.
Depends on Penrose.
? In the primaries Senator Johnson
admitted he suffered for lack of
some such organization to help him
at the right moments, while his right
hand man, Senator william e. Borah,
of Idaho, likewise confessed the alb
sence of a machine was a genuine
handicap on election days because a
machine is needed to bring out the
vote.
At Chicago, it is argued, this need
will be intensified many fold. Already
the charge is being made that the
regulars intend to flatten out John
son and Hoover and Wood and name
Senator Philander Knox, Governor
Lowden or some other Republican
more to their liking, and that the
other candidates will not Re able to
prevent it for lack of sufficient or
ganization.
So 1t is that politicians declare it
to be their belief that in case Sem
ator Penrose remains behind in
Philadelphia, and leaves his forces
in Chicago leaderless, the Wood ma
chine, starting out. with the advan-
tage of having perhaps the largest
number of votes pledged to any one
candidate, will begin an early and
terrific offensive to stampede the
convention to the general.
Minus their regular chieftain, they
say, fragments OF the Old Guard,
after voting while for favorites,
would fall easy captives to the ex-
perienced Hitchcock, the man Of
clever manouvers.
May Help johnson.
On the other hand the absence of
the Old Guard leader. it is said, would
also afford Senator Johnson, though
to a lesser degree, his chance for a
stampede, while the friends of Hoover
are already talking Of a mad scamper
of delegates to his side, once the
favorite son movement is over
A bulletin issued from Senator PEN
roses home said he had taken cold
while autoing through the suburbs
of the city. Politicians are asking
tiaA. question if bad cold is des-
f1 n to change the course of a ma
tional convention, perhaps the name
of the next occupant of the White
House, and therefore the history of
the nation