Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-07-16
PRESIDENTS WIRE
TOG[ASS BELIEVED
FACTOR AIDING cox
Mr.. Wilson Did Not Oppose
Governor-Incident
Helped Him.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

The Wilson administration. mean
ing thereby the influence of the White
House. was not exercised in opposi-
ton to the nomination of Gov. Cox,
but, on the contrary, an incident oc-
Cured which had great deal to do
with the landslide in the final mo-
ments of the San Francisco conven-
ton.
On returning to Washington the
writer has verified a story which went
the rounds of the state dele cations
at San Francisco in the last moments
of the balloting, and which Influenced
some who had been holding out for
McAdoo to join the band wagon for
Cox. AS reported on the floor of the
convention the story was not exact
ly accurate, but. as happens in such
moments of excitement. a word-of-
mouth story gets a variety of ver-
sions by the time it is repeated by
floor managers, workers and over
enthusiastic parusans
Telegram From White House.
The story. which was circulated on
the floor of the convention. was that
Senator Carter Glass had received a
telegram from the White House say
ing Cox was not unacceptable to the
President, but that the Virginia sena-
tor refused to give out the telegram
beca use of the adverse effect it might
have on McAdoo's chances for the
nomination.
Now the facts are these: Senator
Glass did receive telegram from
Secretary Tumulty sent al the express
direction of President. Wilson. 1t hap
pened this way: The New York news
papers quoted Senator Glass as having
said in San Francisco, COX won't do
for the administration" These stories
were called to the attention of the
President by Secretary Tumulty, who
was promptly authorized to send
message to Senator Glass apprising
him that eastern newspapers evidently
were committing the President to
participation in contest in which he
wished to remain absolutely neutral.
The message was sent as matter of
information to Senator Glass. but with
it went the suggestion from the White
House that, of course. these stories
must be unfounded, for the President
was not saying that anybody was un-
acceptable to him.
Misquoted, Says Glass.
Senator G'ass promptly wired back
that he had been misquoted by news
papers and that in his conversations
with reporters he was merely express
ing his personal preference and was
predicting that Cox would not win He
is reported to have remarked that even
if Cox got a majority there IVES the
Clark precedent at Baltimore to prove
that he might not win after all.
The White House has no impression
that the Virginia senator tried to COM
NIT the President to a position of op-
position to Cox'S nomination. From
this end Senator Glass, on the one
hand working for McAdoo. and men
like Vance Mccormick working for
victions. Both had and still have the
confidence of the President. but plenty
of friends of the President were in
yolved in the fight, as for instance
Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi
one of the stanchest friends the Presi-
dent has ever had in Congress. who not
only seconded CoX'S nomination, but
worked like Trojan for him on the
floor of the convention.
Secretary Tumulty's interest in
calling the Presidents attention to
the newspaper reports was a conse-
Quence of persistent inquiries on the
part of newspaper correspondents at
the White House, who insisted that
in the absence of some word from the
White House. the inference would be
justified that the quotation. COX won't
do for the administration" was correct.
President Directed Statement.
The only thing the Presidents Sec
retary could do was to refer the mat
ter to the President, who directed.
which went out on the Sunday night
before Cox was nominated and along
with it the telegram to Senator Glass
refuting by inference the idea that
Cox was unacceptable. This series of
circumstances and facts clears up a
situation that has given rise to all
sorts of speculations outside of
Washington, where the impression
has been fostered in many quarters
that the President was opposed to the
selection Of Cox. and preferred either
McAdoo or Palmer. The fact that the
President. even before Cox won out
or was conceded the, victory, took
pains to refute a report that put Cox
on the side of the anti -adminiStra-
tion forces is cited here as sufficient
proof of the Presidents sincerity in
espousing the candidacy of Cox when
he was once chosen by the democratic
matt onal convention.
Copyright. 1820.y