The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-08-14
KEEPS BIC
PULL IN
6. D. ?.
z Californian Not Ready Yet to
Announce Candidacy-Ma-
chine Men Back Him.
By WILLIAM HARD.

By WILLIAM HARD.
With Hiram johnson leaving
Washington at this time and go
ing for today and for tomorrow
to New York city, where many
of his most determined and influ-
entail supporters in the Republi-
can party are known to reside, the
gossip of Washington is let loose
again at all the possibilities of
Hiram Johnson's Presidential
prospects and intentions.
AS for the prospects, it is gen.
orally soberly believed by a very
large proportion of all leading
Republican political managers
here that today the johnson
strength within the party is
rivsled only by the potential
/, strength of a presidentially sue
cessful Calvin Coolidge.
Is Not Ready Yet.
AS for the intentions, this writer.
after repeated conversations with
johnson, believes that his state of
mind is approximately as follows:
Johnson does not think that the
present time is an appropriate or
decent time for the declaring Of
candidates..
He, moreover, at this time has no
candidacy to declare.
He realizes that President Cool.
idge, in international affairs and
also in domestic affairs, such as the
anthracite strike and the condition
OF the wheat farmer, has his record
still before him to make and then
to stand on.
johnson thinks that he has made
his own views of international at.
fairs perfectly clear. He thinks
that if there should be a conflict be-
tween his views and President Cool
1dge's coming views, this conflict
will declare itself.
Johnson is giving himself nov to
q legislative Senatorial study of do
nestle affairs in matters particu.
AoAAS VI AdDOI dIIU VI ana
OF transportation. He thinks that
II in such matters there should be
divergence between President Cool
idge and himself. this divergence
again will be a thing that will make
Its own declaration.
He has no notion Of announcing a
divergence or a conflict without
knowing that it Is going to exist.
He does NOT fhinLr fhof ha ~.
body else is going to get floated
into the White House in 1924 on
personalities irrespective Of issues.
He is going to walk down a certain
path of policies. He may find a
Presidential fight on it. He shows
no symptoms-this writer is bound
to say-of dreading to find it. On
the other hand, he shows no Symp.
toms Of trying to anticipate it or
force 1t. His idea is that ne will
find what he will find. In the mean
time, he is walking down his path
inhaling the air and swinging a sl1il-
lelagh and looking at the scenery.
Is Different Man Now.
He sees a great difference be-
tween his situation in 1920 and his
situation now. This difference is
seen also by almost n Washington.
In 1920 the Johnson strength con-
sisted Of oratory by johnson AMI
applause by audiences Now it con-
fists additionally of the quiet sup
port OF numerous professional po-
Htical elements which can produce
delegates without audiences or ~
tory.
These elements have been at
tracted TO johnson by his recent
questions in the Senate but still
more by the crushing triumph in
iact OF his 'lrreconcilable" principles
In the actual foreign policy of the
United States toward Europe.
having once regarded johnson as
fanatic, they now look at the
White House and at the State De-
partment and at the Senate; and
they see our refusal to Join the
League; and they see our abstinence
from mlngling into the problem of
RepdTatlons and our equal abstin-
ence from mingling into the proh-
lem OF the Ruhr: and they see our
reluctance to join even the league
world court; and they see senators
IKE Wadsworth and Curtis and
watson and dozen others recoiling
from the court when at one time
they did not recoil from the league
Itself; and the political personal con.
sequence is that they now regard
johnson as a winner"
Ihey notice farther that the
activities of Johnson in these mat
ters and the activities of the
republican National Committee
nave been virtually Identical in
spirit. They think they see that In
the central American public ques-
tion OF the policy and position of
the United States in the world the
senior Senator from California has
been the true prophet and interpre-
ter Of the final sentiments of III.
republican national party organiza.
ton.
This Is the root reason here for
Johnson's present prestige. While
business men generally throughout
the country are still thinking Cf
Johnson as some sort of outsider -
the strictly practical political part
of shington-practical from the
marty standpoint-has long accepted
him as one of the bell-wethers of
the regular party fold.
Out Of that part of WASHINGTON
certain numerous elements stand
perfectly ready now in certain
circumstances to get delegates fer
Johnson in nineteen twenty-four by
their own machine methods, in adj.
dition to the delegates that ne can