Evening star., 1923-07-23
JOHNSON IS SILENT
ON 1924 CANDIDACY
Senator, Back From Eu-
rope. Refuses to Indicate
His Aspirations.

~ the Associated Press-
NEW YORK. July 23.-United States
Senator Hiram Johnson of California,
doomed by his friends for the repub-
lican presidential nomination in 1924
returned from a tour Of Europe today
on the Leviathan. refusing to indi-
cate to reporters or the crowd that
gathered to greet him, whether his
hat was in the ring.
Johnson enthusiasts professed to
see two good ornens in the incidents
of the Homecoming. One was the fact
that in the little fleet of craft that
went dow IL the bay TO meet him was
the tug Menominee. The other was
the fact that while he didn't shy his
hat into the ring, capricious wind
sled 1t for him into the bay.
Refuses to Talk.
The senator only laughed. however,
when he was asked to comment on
the omens and declared:
'I will not be interviewed on do
mostic politics at this itme7 Later I
may have a little to say"
Friends of the senator indicated
they expected an important statement
from him Wednesday night when he
addresses the testimonial dinner be-
ing arranged in his honor.
Senator Johnson was taken aboard
the municipal steamer Macomb down
the bay and lanIed at the battery.
He was cheered there by g, crowd of
more than 1000 persons as he entered
I..l- N.I-x l., L.s. L. -
To reporters who pressed him for
some Indication of how he feels about
the n-for-President" move
ment he had ever the same answer,
though he phrased it differently-that
be wasn't going to be interviewed on
that subject today.
Out of Touch Here.
'I have been in Europe four and a
half months he said. During that
time I have been out of touch with
domestic politics only after / have
had a chance to catch up with what
happened during my absence"
Senator Johnson said he planned to
go to Washington the latter part of
this week and spend a few days
clearing up affairs which have come
up during his absence He expects
to go to California about September 1.
Ihe senator. who had become we'd
ded to the Leviathan on his trip
home, was greeted down the bay
early this morning by committee
Of ph,a about as,o at,ou Twenty-Five; a3 headed by
Payne. Most of the greeters were
men who had been allied with the
bull moose party, men who have
been warmly pro-Johnson for a long
time.
AS he left the Leviathan, Senator
Johnson gazed steadily back at her
for several minutes and then said:
"One cannot leave ship like that
without some emotion
Views Have Changed. :
He had found many passengers on
board, he said, who had never
thought much of the American mer-
chant marine before. Now. he said,
they were resolved that the Stars
and Stripes would be sufficient for
them on the seas. and some We're re-
solved that the Stars and Stripes
would be sufficient for them on land,
too"
About his Impressions of conditions
in Europe and what he thinks Amer
ica's attitude toward European affairs
should be, Senator johnson was as
uncommunicative as he was about his
presidential aspirations. Europe and
Americas relation to Eurole will be
the subject of his address Wednesday
night and his friends said he was
/; saving all his thunder for that ad-
!, dress and the addresses which are
to follow in various parts of the
country.
The senator smiled and answered
in the negative when he was asked
if he proposed to follow the trail
of President Harding's recent swing
through the west In the delivery
of his message to America about
foreign affairs. 81 have no plan," he
said. "I will deliver my message
where can and how I can."
Touches New Senator johnson.
Reporters who tried to smoke him
out with some comment on the re-
cent election to the Senate of Magnus
Johnson of Minnesota had little sue
cess. When some one told him the
! ssenator-elect had said that John
SON of California talks too little
| he replied. there are q lot of people
who talk too much"