Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1920-06-23
PROHIBITION WILL
Be OVERSHADOWING
ISSUE At FRISCO
Leaders Abandon Hope Of Settle.
ncnt Behind Closed Doors Of
Platform Committee.
DEADLOCK ON NOMINEE ,
nv Assocjated Press - Every Evenlng

by Associated Press 20 Every Evening
San Francisco. June "a Rumblings a
Democratic discord over prohibition were
heard today as delegates and party chiefs
arrived IN increasing numbers for the
national convention.
Hope that the gathering storm might
spend itself behind the closed doors n the
platform committee virtually WAS aban-
doned by the leaders, and they prepared
70 face an outbreak II tempestuous debate
on the floor a the convention itsef Such
"A development, IL was agreed everywhere.
would hold uanys dramatic possibilities
including a further complication of the
uncertain outlook ~ ~ thc Presidential
nomination.
Already tho overshadowing iegue in
prcconvcntion conference, the QUESTION
of platform declaration against The bore
dry law, almost took tho whole stage frr
itself today ss the delegates heard nf Poet
master General BuriesOn's e announcement
for q modification of tho VOlstead act By
many accustomed to regard the Post
master-Ceneral rs q political Spokesman
for the White House, the developncnf
WAS accepted as a warning of which way
the wind of adrninisf ration influence
would blow
Others among The party leaders re-
fused to take that view buf 10 0ac herr
assumed to know with certainty how fsf
the sentiments of President Wilson might
be in accord with those of Mr. Burleson
The latter. who announced hiE stand
yesterday ~ San Antonio Texas Till not
reach San Francisco until late IN the week
What everyone hero docs know. how
ever. is that both sides of the controvFrew
arc cernenting their lines and bringing
their heaviest artillery for a finish fight
After many conferences In an effort ~ las
q basis for harmony, Homer s. Cummings.
the national chairman. said to-day it
seemed 70 be a far bet" that the uues-
tiOn would he taken 70 the convention
floor for a settlement regardless ~ what
decision was made in the platform COM
mittee
Closely intert wiued with the prohibition
question IL the problem Of selecting n
nominee in accord with the platform 50
finally agreed on, and among many Of the
practical politicians there ~ feeling that
the two decisions must be sstted virtually
at one stroke. 80 the pleas of candidates
managers are falling on deaf ears for the
present, while leaders get their bearings
on the more immediate question ~ 4
bone-dry OF a beer platform.
The League Of Nations disagreement,
along with several other disputed platform
issues. has followed the question ~ cafsni-
dates into temporary eclipse. Among most
of the leaders il ls agreed that whatever
trouble develops over the treaty VIII be
only drop in the bucket acompared -
the prohibition night.
BoNE-DgY LEADERS CoyTTDEST.
Leaders Of the bone-drv forces we're
confident today that they would command
a good majority IN the platform commit
tee, where each state mas only one mem
Der, and could keep out Of the committee
report any declaration for change IN the
present law With this view most OF the
opposing managers privately agreed.
but they declared that when an appeal
was taken TO the convention itself the vote
would tell much different story. The
large States, il was pointed out, while
having only one vote each III the commit