Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-11
Board of Strategy Maps Out
Five Suggested Plans for
Nomination.
WOODS STRENGTH TO BE
SHOWN IN FIRST BALLOTS
Then Lowden to Be Given
Chance, With Other Leaders
to Follow.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

CHICAGO, June 11-Even if the
public could be told all that was said,
all that was promised, all that was
Planned in the conferences which
lasted well into the morning, the said
public would only know the STRAIT
egy-not the result.
For as the republican national con-
Ventlon enters into its final stage
the actual naming of candidates for
PRESIDENT and Vice President-the
pledges and assurances exchanged be-
mind closed doors by the busy man
ayers of individual aspirants for the
nomination mean only a concerted ef-
tort TO name a conservative accepta-
pie TO the regular republican organi-
cation.
Order of Events Mapped Out.
Inc order of events based upon
or strategy is mapping out on the
inside Of this convention Is this:
l. Let Wood show his maximum
strength on the first few ballots and
let johnson hold his delegates intact.
= Let Lowden come up and pass
drive inside the New York, Penn
sylvania and Massachusetts delega-
tions for Lowden.
3. If Lowden does not get the
break" and merely holds his lines
intact with no evident chance Of TAX
ing delegates from Leonard Wood
ballot or two for Johnson's benefit
will be tried.
4. II all three leaders fail to get
a majority. the board of strategy will
offer Knox or Sproul or Harding, with
I he certainty that Harding will be at
least given the Vice Presidency, if
Johnson declines it.
ha
or Sproul or Harding then Senator
Penrose and the old guard who are
sitting on the board Of managers will
be compelled to go to other COM
promise candidates like Hughes,
Hoover. Lenroot. but none of the in
slders believes the situation will get
that far.
Johnson Knows .'the Inside.-
Now there is a shrewd gentleman
knows what is happening on the in
SIDE and who knows what the effort
OF the old guard is going to be- He
Is being assured that he will have his
chance Just as soon as Wood is
sessea asa hRs saas i
he had better hold his delegates until
each one Of his rivals has finally got
ten out OF the race. 8.
But the California senator has play-
ed the poker of politics In his own
state and also in the United States
Senate and he is not SO easily held in
line. Indeed. Mr.. Johnson is keeping
the Lowden forces on edge by con-
tlnually limiting or gesturing in the
direction Of Leonard Wood. II John
son threw his delegates to Wood. the
eminent major general would win this
nomination in a walk. So long. how
ever, as johnson thinks there is a re-
n n M $oy h;
not withdraw in anybody's favor. So
1t Is necessary for the managers who
oppose Wood to keep dangling before
Johnson the prospect Of winning the
nomination himself
Confers With Enemy.
1t is interesting to record in this
connection that Senator johnson has
had within the last twenty-four hours
conferences with Tobias Hert. man
ager Of the Lowden boom. and with
John T. King, who represents Senator
Penrose. Both King and Hert are
vehemently opposed to the Wood can
d1dacy and to Frank Hitchcock. Mr.
Hltcncock, by the way, is represented
as having told Massachusetts dele
gates that IL he wins this fight for
Wood, VIII Hays will be displaced as
national chairman and the former
postmaster General will run the cam.
paign. S<~1
So the messages are carried back
ana forth and the bluffs and feints
are made In the great nominating
game. Johnson is really out Of 1t and
is powerful only in that he can name
the presidential candidate by releas-
Ing his delegates and withdrawing in
favor OF another contender. The belief
persists that when he Is once con-
vinced that he cannot win, he will
go on the ticket with Philander C.
Knox, former Secretary of State, for
mer Attorney General. former friend
of Roosevelt and Taft, and unuues-
the man who would find favor
rot merely with the all-important
Pennsylvania delegation, which is one
of the three holding the balance of
power, but with the New York and
Massachusetts delegations.
Knox and Coolidge May BE Ticket.
Mr.. Knox. who was first brought out
by Penrose. would inherit the Lowden
strength in New York and Massachu-
sets, and together with Pennsylvania
this would be enough to win. 1t NAV
be necessary to make the ticket Knox
and Coolidge to catch the fancy of
and IT, that Is not pos
sible there are some Lowden delegates
in populous Ohio who might be
brought into camp by making the
ticket Knox and Harding.
All these moves are under considera-
ton as the convention makes an eff
fort to finish its business by Saturday
night. A deadlock in the balloting
would upset all calculations and keep
the convention here to the middle Of
next week.
Copyright, 1920)