Great Falls daily tribune., 1920-04-05
HOOVER FLOP
INTO 6. 0, 7, IS
PARTISAN POSER
Republicans Welcome to
Food Administrator Is
One of Mixed Emotions
Is Formidable Candidate
for Presidential Nomi-
nation, Belief.
BY ARTHUR SEARS HENNlNG.
Special Dispatch to Great Falls DaiI,
Tflbune and Chicago Tribune

ny ARTHUR SEARS HENNInG.
Special Dispatch to Great Falls DaiIy
Tribune and Chicago Tribune.
Washington. April 4.-Herbert Hoov-
er's sensational acrobatic feat of leap
ing from the back of the Democratic
donkey to neutral position and thence
to the back Of the Republican elephant
political spectators thrilled with the per-
formance and excited over the pr0spec-
tive developments.
The Republicans have welcomed Mr..
Hoover back to the fold with mixed emo
tions. some heartily with tributes to hs
conspicuous capacity for statecraft.
others less heartily with expressed mis-
givings that his party orthodoxy has
be IN contaminated by association with
the Democrats.
The Democrats. particularly those
Democratic leaders and organs whose
r,cent adulations of Hoover leaves them
"out on limb have bade him farewell
with the best grace possible. conso'ins
Republicans nominate and elect him
president. they will find an old acqualn-
tance in Che White House.
"Sad Thing" Says Cummings.
II think it is sad thing to see an
eralize a stand pat party" said. Homer
G.. Cummings, chairman of the Demo-
cratic national committee when asked
his view of Mr.. Hoover's declaration that
he is a Republican.
Developments indicate that Mr.. Hoov-
er is going to be a formidable contend
er for the Republican nomination. He
is starting late and he will have fewer
delegates possibly than any OF the asplr-
ants already in the race. but there is no
doubt he will be an important factor IN
will consist Of widespread popular sup
port. His ability and progressiveness
and his availability as compromise
candidate If the convention should be
deadlocked on a choice of the other as
pirants. 1t is with such considerations IN
mind that several Republican leaders
whose advice generally taken have eau
toned their followers not to attack
Hoover or endeavor to read him out OF
the party.
traitor are taking steps to organize his
campaign on a large scale in all the I'M
portant states, and public opinion OF
Hoover will be tested wherever eleventh
hour entrance into primaries permits.
Attention is now centered upon the
primary in Michigan in which Hoover is
a candidate on the Democratic as well
as the Republican ticket. and the prl-
mary in California, his home state, on
May 4, in which Hoover, favoring the
League of Nations with protective res
ervations, will contend with Senator
Johnson Of California opposing any
league at ALL 1t is an unwritten rule
of politics that candidate who cannot
carry his own state in the primary is
.ol III H00vGr
wins the California delegation, Johnson
will be considered out Of the contest.
If johnson wins, however. the rule may
90 by the board. for Hoover is no re-
specter of political traditions.
Backed by "WorId.''
Hoover's political adventures have en-
livened an otherwise prOsaic political
Hoover always was classed
as a Republican until he wrote his letter
in 1918. supporting President Wilson's
appeal for the return Of Democratic
congress. Thereupon the Republicans
tagged him a Democrat.
Hoover's candidacy was launched by
the New York World, chief newspaper
organ of the Wilson administration and
many Democratic leaders who reechoed
the World were convinced that Hoover
was the presidents choice. But Hoover
did not want to be Democrat. His
first move, to disentangle himself from
the Jeffersonians was to declare himself
m independent who would await adop
ton Of the party platform before choos-
ing party.
Then began an organized effort to
get him back into the Republican camp
which resulted in his letter agreeing to
enter the Republican primary in Cali
fornia. The World is still for Hoover
rs Republican. despite his indorse-
ment of the protective reservations of
the League Of Nations covenant, for the
adoption of which the Democratic organ |
1as upsparingly denounced the RepubS, |
,an mn iorifv of the senate