South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1920-04-27
JOHNSON PLAYED
BY "OLD GUARD" IS
PROVING PUZZLER
Used to Split Wood Strength
and Seems Running Away
With Things.
~ JOHN j. CARSON-

IL 1OAAh - AAlANON.
WASHINGTO%. April ZG-Fverv
move. Of VIII IT, Hayes. chairman
~ the republican national commit
tee. is being closely watched hy GER
tain OF the aspirants for the repub-
lean presidential nomination.
That Hays might take over the
organization which has been SUD-
porting Gov Lowden. Of Illinois.
and suddenly appeared on the scene
as an aspirant for the Office him.
self Is "a story said 10 have been
given circulation by some OF those
who have been supporting Maj Gen.
Leonard Wood.
To some the suggestion seems abb
surd, in view II the fact that Hays
has never been considered seriously
as presidential timber by the reDub-
ucan leaders. but iu their absurdity.
they reflect the bitterness with
which the Wood forces are accept
ing the situation in which the gen
eral Is suddenly finding himself
through old guard" manipUlatiOns
johnson "Old Guard" Play.
That the "old guard" deliberately
hit upon the plan OF playing Sen.
Hiram Johnson. Of California.
against Wood 20 halt Woods rush
and put his candidacy 81 the to-
ly by the Wood organizers. And
here and there are coming reports
that the Wood organization is dis
migrating and that soon ne will
appear as no more important "a fac
tor in the reckoning than GOV. Low
den seems TO be at this time
But there is some cXultatiOn in
this bitterness, for the Wood forces
90 some extent at least are hoping
that the "old guard" which is Sc
cretly trying 10 put over Sen Hard
ing, Of Ohio, viii find Johnson to
possess such strength that some
move will have 10 be made to "kilI'
him on. At that time. the Wood
men expect 10 see a return of some
OF the strength Wood is losing.
Situation PuzzIer.
WHO are they going 10 take is
the query which comes from the
Wood forces. the they referring
20 the "old guard" leaders. will
they take Johnson? Not on your
life. VIII they take Harding Well
believe us, If they try 20 foist Hard
ing off on the public. they are due
for a trimming in the election in
November"
Talk always is heard in Washing
ton Of disCOrd, boiling and a third
be given serious consideration for
the bitterness is more intense than
it has been since 1912. Old sores,
healed over temporarily in the de-
sire 20 get TO the job counter. have
been reopened by the "Old guard"
manipulations. and charges are be-
ing hurled down the line at every
one in the game from Will r. HAYS
20 Sen. Penrose and Sen. Watson.
Californian Gains Power.
When the final accounting comes /
at Chicago, everything indicated that (
the two outstanding candidates but |
two forces which cannot be welded /
together. viii be those who are fol- |
lowing Sen. Harding. of Ohio. can |
didate OF the "old guard" and Sen. |
Johnson, of California, candidate OF /
the old progressive element. John /
sons candidacy is apparently being
halted no place regardless or the
opposition. Reports that Johnson
will carry Indiana, and that he may
win i'm New Jersey. Delaware and
Maryland are followed by reports
that ne will get many votes i'm Ohio.
even though ne is not entered there
as a candidate.
That the old guard will not take
Johnson is conceded. Johnson might
gam lilS Su phpIA II ne Woulu agree
To take orders from PenrOse, but
Johnson could hardly do this and
continue TO live happily with the
element which is now supporting
his candidacy. On the other hand,
IL the "old guard" i'm the face OF
Johnsou's strength forces Harding's
nomination, Johnson must submit 20
the most tyrannical machine poll
tics ever staged. That ne viii sub
init 10 IL is not conceded for a \
moment by the men supporting
Johnson now That he viii holt they
will not predict but they intimate
that something will be done
Rarely, if ever. has "a situation
seemed so troublesome for q POI |
litical party.