Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1924-03-07
Generals Brueque Refusal
Cost Him Support OF
Enough Delegates to Nom
mate, Statement Says.
CLARA SMITH HAM0N
SAYS STORY is TRUE
Woman Freed as Slayer of OPP
orator, Declares He Told Her
Wood Was Promised Nomina-
tion-General Refuses to Dis
cuss Allegations in Manila.

That certain oil interests, through
the late Jake Hamon, republican
national committeeman Of Oklaho-
ma, offered votes OF delegates to
Gen. Leonard Wood when the latter
was deadlocked in the lead of the
republican convention at Chicago in
1920 if Wood would agree to appoint
Hamon Secretary of the Interior, is
the sensational allegation of Leonard
Wood, jr., in the latter's signed
statement disclosed today by the
North American Newspaper AL
lance, of which The Star is men,
Der. His fathers rejection of this
offer, young Wood claims, lost Gen.
Wood the nomination.
Clara Smith Hamcn, now Mrs.
John w. German of Beverly Hills.
Calf. who was charged with killing
Hamon and subsequently acquitted.
when asked to comment on Leon
ard Wood, jr.'s statement pro-
nounced it undoubtedly true. Claim
ing that Hamon had never kept
any personal secrets from her,
she said that Hamon had told her
that he had offered the nimination
to Wood. When quotations from
the statements of his son and the
former Clara Smith Hamon were
laid before Gen. Wood, now gov
erncr general of the Philippine
Islands, in Manila yesterday by a
correspondent the general stated
that he declined to discuss in any
way at this time incidents of the
1920 campaign or statements Of
Leonard Wood, jr. Leonard Wood,
jr.s signed statement, made to Ed
gar Mels, special correspondent of
the North American Newspaper
Alliance and the Star, follows:
OFFER Flatly Refused.
Il have known ever since I attend
ed the republican convention in 1920
that certain oil interests made an
o1er to my father, Gen. Leonard
Wood, which he refused fatty. This
offer probably would have assured
him the republican nomination for
President. had he accepted. I am in
tensely proud that my father rejected
a proposition which might have
FORCED him to turn traitor to his
country-had he accepted.
Before relating events occurring
during the convention itself I must
recite those< which. lead up to the
proffer of the nomination. I had been
In service in France, having gone
there from the New York World, Oh
which I worked as reporter during
my absence, in the early fall of 1919.
am told Jake Hamon, the Oklahoma
oil man, some way or other obtained
an introduction to my father. At any
rate, when I returned from France
Hamon suggested to my father that
] might like to try my hand at some
thing more exciting and lucrative
than reporting. Hamon invited me to
Texas and gave me Job.
Travel with me, he said, and
you'll be rich.
It went to work and. to be frank,
did not see the idea Of selling things
/ objected to the publicity Hamon
was getting through me and struck
out for myself. Here 1 want to say
a brief word for myself. Certain
members of Congress, seeking to hit
at my father, besmirch me, alleging
that I did crooked work selling stock
in fake company. That Is a lie.
IF they want the truth. let them in
veStlgate me. However, time passed
and my father became the principal
candidate for the republican nomina-
tion for President.
81 was at Chicago during the COM
vention: While was not in the inner
what was going on. / know posi-
lively that Jake Hamon made an offer
TO my father on the afternoon before
Harding was nominated, to which my
father refused fatty.
Session Adjourned.
1.-THE convention was deadlocked, with
my father easily in the lead. Every
thing pointed to his eventual nomina-
ton. Suddenly, out Of q clear sky,
some one moved for an adjournment.
An aye and no vote was demand
ed. Senator Henry Cabot Lodge was
in the chair.
1.-THE vocal vote as saw II in ia
voring of continuing the session was
overwhelming, yet Senator Lodge.
apparently in the face of the will Of
the delegates. gave the noes" the up.
per hand and the convention adJourn-
ed.
att was then that Hamon-and per-
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