Evening star., 1924-03-03
JOHNSON NOT LOSING
t. FINANCIAL BACKERS
Reports on New York Campaign
I Declared in Error; Friends
: Cheered.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.

( Senator Hiram Johnson's financial
+. supporters have not abandoned him.
! nor do they intend to. The published
! reports, of a withdrawal of financial
aid for the primary campaign in New
York state are misconstruction OF a
/. decision made. several months. ago
!. when the Johnson campaign was
. manned.
sCertain sums were allocated for each
! State. but it was decided not to make
rs extensive n canvass in New York.
! because the senator relies there upon
Its 1920 strength with the voters and
/ lHS power of personal appeal with the
: masses as well as the aid of certain
I newspapers.
Hold Chances are Improving.
! Mr.. Johnson's friends feel that his
chances are getting better daily, that
: the next campaign will be won in the
west, and that the Teapot Dome con-
! Coolidge with the responsibility of
I retaining officers in his Cabinet until
forced to dismiss them, that the pub
Ac VIII want a new slate.
The Johnson campaign is based on
the issue OF clean government as ex-
pounded by the California senator
lie favorS a soldier bonus, tax reduc-
! tion and what he terms progressive
program.
, Strategy in California.
Z The Coolidge forces have by no
! means ignored the Johnson move
ment, and, while confident of success,
would, nevertheless, feel better if the
Californian were out OF the way. To
/ checkmate johnson there is plan
afoot to reduce his prestige nation
ally if possible by a contest in the
California primaries, the theory being
that If Johnson could be deprived of
the republican Endorsement in his
! home state he would not have any
/! strength to speak of elsewhere.
/ Gov. f. w. Richardson Of Califor-
4, mia, who Is said to cherish ambitions
for the vice presidential nomination,
/ IS the only man who ever polled more
votes in California than Johnson.
! Favored for Vice Presidency.
! First. it was thought he would head
+; the list of Coolidge electors in Cali
1ornia, but at the eleventh hour, this
I plan was abandoned, because Mr..
. Richardson could not very well be a
! delegate and a candidate ut the same
time. Some of the Coolidge hackers
] idea of trying TO put Richardson in
: the primaries as running mate
: with President Coolidge.
Analyzing the Richardson victory
last time, the JohnSonian viewpoint
: seems to be that he received a large
: vote because many Johnson republi-
: cans thought Richardson was in
! dorsed by johnson. When Richard
son first was elected to office, as state
treasurer, he had the Johnson sup
port.
! Hughes Forces for Coolidge.
! The personnel of the Coolidge list
of delegates i'll California virtually is
z tho Same as that which took hold of
the campaign of Charles Evans
Z Hughes in 1916. While Mr.. Johnson
may have lost some strength since
Z the last time he ran. the champions
OF his cause are sure that, as between
the senator and the conservative
group which is behind Mr.. Coolidge.
California will vote overwhelmingly
Tor its favorite son.
. The Johnson movement is depend
Ing mostly on the personal campaign
( of the senator in various primaries.
His hackers say he needs less money
: than any other type of candidate e
. because of the magic of his voice aud
I personality. There is no disposition
{ to abandon him; on the contrary,
Z there is a revived interest in the pos
sibility that he may yet hold the
whip hand in the republican conven-
tion. especially if the middle western
/. radicals have a candidate too.