New-York tribune., 1920-06-09
Hitchcock to Lead Wood Fight

Inc acquisition of Watson by the
Woodpeople was generally commented
on by Republicans tonight as one of
the shrewdest strokes the Wood man
agement has ever made
Watson Besieged by Foes
Watson had been driven Up in
corner. Will H. Hays, the nations,
chairman. was lending his active aid to
the move to make ex-senator Ogden l..
Mills chairman of the Resolutions Com
mittee, so that the work of the ad-
visory Committee on Platform and Pol
lcles, of which Mills was chairman.
could be carried along sympa thetically
by the resolutions committee. Indeed.
some of the members of the Platform
and Policies Committee had worked out
draft of the platform and brought il
to Chicago with them
AS told in The Tribune this morning.
all sorts of wires were being pulled.
and all of Watsons political enemies in
Indiana had climbed aboard the move
ment, threatening to defeat the SEN
ator Tor reelection this fall
Then, like mamma from heaven. came
that they would throw Ogden Mills
overheard if Watson would promise alb
solute LOYALTY to Wood and do the best
ne could to help put Wood over.
Negotiations on this line began yester-
day, IN great secrecy and were COM
pleted to-day lust before the meeting
Of the Resolutions Committee
Mills Accepts Situation
Mills was told quietly by the Wood
people, just before the battle started.
that they had been obliged TO sacrifice
him. Accepting defeat, he went around
to some of his supporters, releas sing
them. When he met William Allen
White, the Kansas member of the Res
olutions Committee. White said:
well. # everybody is throwing you
overheard. that is the time for me to
stick. so ] will"
White did this despite the action Of
his own delegation, which elected him
to the Resolutions Committee By an
almost unanimous vote, through friend
ship of the individual members for
Watson. they instructed White to vote
for Watson White refused, however.
and joined the other two members Of
the committee in voting for Mills.
although futile, gives fair sample Of
how the influence of Watson, which
may be utilized for Wood, reaches out
into states far from Indiana.
More than ever tonight it is Wood
against dark horse. The elimination
OF Johnson is conceded by all save a
small band Of his most enthusiastic
supporters. Indications are increasing
that the convention may not only run
over Johnson little roughly as cam
didate, but that it may beat him
nj
Jofmson Losing on League
With tn arrival of many more dele
gates it is becoming clearer that g
fight over the league plank. i tested
out by a fight on the floor OF the con-
vention, would be very unsatisfactory
in its outcome 10 Mr.. Johnson. Most
leaders VINO have been studying the
situation say the convention would
vote an Endorsement Of the league OF
nations with reservations drastic
enough to protect American interests
This would be going much further
than the nebulous Indiana plank,
which, before Johnson opened his re-
cent drive, had been pretty well agreed
on as a satisfactory compromise.
So that, while Johnson has at least
twice as much strength in number of
delegates with him on the league fight
as he has for the nomination, the Cali
fornia Senator has small chance of
riding into control of the convention
even on that issue.
Some of his opponents are predict
ing that Johnson's delegates will all
have left him by the fourth ballot ex
cept those from California and Mon
tana. and they will be looking for the
band wagon as soon after that as the
vehicle is plainly marked for boarding.
Delegates Seek Band Wagon
Meanwhile the game of picking the
band wagon in absorbing the interest
of the huge blocks of delegates from
New York and Pennsylvania. II is
thought the aid of Watson will be po-
tent for Wood in these two delega-
tons, especially in that of Pennsyl-
vania.
All hope for a demonstrative. en-
thusiastic convention which could be
stampeded by bands, marching clubs
and red FIRE, fickered and died TO-DAY
long before Senator Henry Cabot Lodge
had completed his keynote speech. -
There was every incentive, More
American fiags than xrara ~rchaNlx, .,,>,