The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-10-29

Announcement OF Candidacy
Of California Senator Is
Demanded by Friends.
By WILLIAM HARD.

Hiram johnson will announce
his candidacy for the Republican
nomination for President within
three weeks If he yields to the
pressure now being put upon him
by many of his most conspicuous
and influential supporters.
The appointment of ex-senator
Frank B. Kellogg Of Minnesota
to be American Ambassador at
London, combined with the
observation-disclosures gestures
toward an international "eco-
nomic" conference, has filed q
large part Of the johnson follow
ing with the conviction that their
chosen champion must now come
forward and prove that he is still
sticking to his ''irreconcilable"
colors. ~
Confer with LasI5er.
Among the johnson supporters
the only question really is: shall
johnson announce himself after
Congress meets in December or
shall he do it before that time?
Today the, chances are thought to
be that he will do it without wait
ing for the opening Of Congress
and without waiting for the Presi-
dents message to Congress.
Political personages here Of the
highest importance have been seek.
ing conferences with Albert Lasker,
former chairman OF the Shipping
Board, who has established himself
here for a day or two of visiting
and who Is well known to be an
earnest defender Of Johnson's cir.
reconcilable' views. Gentlemen high
In the Administration have been
zobserved in Lasker's company and
1t Is confidently believed that they
have desired to try to stave off
the johnson candidacy.
Efforts To Fail.
It can be emphatically stated.
however, out Of information drawn
from many sources. that no ef-
forts to stave off the johnson can
oldacy are now likely to be sue
cessIul Tor long. The Kellogg ap-
polntment comes close to being alb
solutely decisive on that point.
me johnson element in many
parts OF the country. as reported
here directly by letter and by tele-
gram, is now openly alleging that
the Kellogg appointment is a direct
challenge to Johnson and to the
whole Johnson philosophy of
foreign affairs and that johnson
must at once accept it and must at
once declare himself ready to re-
s1st the Kellogg sort of diplomacy
to the very last ditch Of political
and personal effort.
II Johnson Is going to keep his
political lines intact he may be
forced into a declaration Of his
candidacy before the middle Of next
month. He will In any case have
to declare it before long or else
find the enthusiasm Of his followers
aoatlng or even eYaporating.
See Double Game.
Many of these followers now
think they see President Coolidge
playing a double game. His con-
versation has raised nigh hopes
among the "irreconcilables." His
approaches to participation in the
separations question have been
cautious and have been hedged
about with verbal conditions of an
"1rreconcilable" color.
But what will be the value Of
those conditions" the Johnson fol-
lowers now inquire, III on the new
proposed reparations committee the
American Government should ap-
point man resembling Kellogg?"
The appointment of Kellogg to
handle our London relations with
the British government has enabled
the johnson followers to say that
they fear the appointment OF a
similar pro-Leaguer, a similar Re-
publican Wilsonian. similar friend
of foreign alliances" to the COM
mittee which Secretary Hughes has
been projecting for the settlement
Of the separations relations between
Germany and France.
THE words are of no importance. J"
say the Johnson followers ut is
the men that make the difference.
Kellogg will go to London and pro-
mote the pro-League ideas which
the United States rejected In 1920,
and which the State of Minnesota
rejected, along with him, in 1879.
when 1t chose Henrik Shipstead, an
'irreconcilable.' to succeed him In
the Senate. Kellogg, in London. if
he Is true to his own convictions,
will misrepresent his State and his
country. How do we know, now that