The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-26
CALIFORNIA AGAIN MAY BE DECIDING FACTOR IN BATTLE
Republican Ranks Are Badly Shattered, With Hoover
 Group Now Controlling
HARDlNG'S FRIENDS ARE OPPOSING PROGRESSIVE"
Foe Of World Court May Be Unable To Win Support
 Of States Delegates
By ROBERT ]. BENDER OLeased Wire to The AEe-Hernld)


 NEW YORK, August 25.-Largely unbeknown to 8 majority of the elec- torate, there is now undenr way In California a spirited political fight which will have an important bear ing upon the next presidential cam paign.
 California, 1t will be recalled, was the state whose popular vote at the last moment turned an aupparent victory for Charles Evans Hughes in 1e1s into bitter republican realiza- tion that Woodrow Wilson had sue ceeded himself In the White House. Now there is a situation there which if Johnson wishes to make a fight of it to the finish, may well turn that state aagin into the presidential democratic column.
 Curiouslv enough, the present out break of political rash was germl mated by the world court speech pre- pared by the late President Harding and later given out to newspapers as statement when the President was too ill to deliver 1t personally.
 sousht to withhold Speech.
 Friends of senator Johnson. it de- Veioped, did everything within their power to have the statement with held, which activity aroused the ire of HardinE's friends and supporters in the state, particularly those who have sponsored the cause of greater American participation in intefna- tionlal action for world peace.
 During the course of the ensuing rumpus over publication of the state ment, the spirited editorial debate between the several newspaper inter- ests involved finally hingd on whether former President Harding was merely an amiabls or was ac- tually a great man.
 Suddenly out of the maze of this discussion the San Francisco Jour- nal published a letter of Senator Johnson, in which the latter discussed pessimistically his chances for the next republican nomination. He de- clared that Harding undoubtedly would get it, deplored the fact that the "old gang" was Gin the saddle" in California politics, indirectly shot couple of hot shots at Secretary of Commerce Hoover and suggested that his tJohnsons) chances of carrying the New York primaries were better than those of carrying the California primaries,
 Senator's Blast.
 It was publication of this letter that drew the senator into a vituper- atlve blast at Andrew Lawrence, pub fisher or the San Francisco Journal, who has advocated the policies of Herbert Hooyer in international re- lations, has strongly supported the course of President Harding in the world court campaign and has op- posed Johnson's maintained fight against American entrance into ih- ternational agencies for world peace.
 The whole fight has reached a point of bitterness where Johnson himself admits the probability of his being unable to control the next California delegation to the repuh- iiean national convention. If ha proves unable to direct the vote of this delegation he naturally cannot hope to win any pronounced support a that convention. Hence, the fight now being waged in California with the forses of William Randolph Hearst among others ranged on the side. of Johnson, against friends Of Herbert Hoover, supported by An drew Lawrence and supporters of the late President Harding-promise to decide whether Johnson is to get a real chance at the republican pfesi- dential nomination or sink into politi- cal oblivion.