Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-06-27
SEVERAL. PLANkS LIKELY TO CAUSE
 BATTLE AT FRISCO
Prohibition, Ireland, the Lea que, and Profiteering
 Among Them

San Francisco, June 26.-Bone dry prohibition, profiteering, industrial relations, the league of nations and the Irish question promise to be headliners in the fight over demo- cratic platform blanks.
 In this category, the prohibition question was easily foremost in l the minds of leaders and delegates as the bone drys and antis began the counting of noses to see where they stood. A convention floor fight seemed almost certain, both sides in sisting they wanted a verdict on the issue by separate vote of the body of delegates.
 | Coming rapidly into the, limelight and also threatening fight in the ]; open convention was the Irish ques- l tion on which a whole scale of rec concentrations, running from Irish recognition to an expression of sym pathy, will be laid before the resolu- tions committee.
 The league of nations now was more or less in the back ground, but opponents of President Wilson of various shades of irreconcilability were making an effort to get to- gether to block his ratification plank.
 As to the labor problem and profi teering, only beginnings of a disa greement were in evidence. On the prcfiteering issue, however, both w.. J. Bryan and Attorney General Pal mer will have ideas which may bring out stiff alignment more or less along administration and anti-admin- istration lines.
 I MT. Bryan seemed likely tonight to be the stormy petrel of the plat form fight. He took charge today of the prohibition forces, lined up support for his league of nations fight and made himself generally the chief subject of speculation among friends of President Wilson and the Virginia platform endorsed by him.
 On prohibition three courses are open. MT. Bryan and his supporters want an affirmative declaration for the enforcement and preservation unchanged of the present half of one per cent Volstead act. A group in which the New York and New Jersey delegations are taking the lead are in l favor of liberalization of the jaw I for which they say way has been opened by the supreme courts opin- ions. Still third larger class of \ delegates and leaders are for no pro- hibition plank.
 II Enheartened by the action of the 1 Pennsylvania caucus in refusing to F instruct it's resolutions committee I member to urge modification of I the Volstead act, drys today were ] claiming not only would they be able l to prevent wet plank from being built into the platform, but would be I able tc include a plank commenting the law.
 MT Bryan announced he would the convention floor. That the committee has majority for the drys is conceded, but the vets are 1 planning minority report and Nor man Mack, national committee man from New York, said his state would make determined fight for the modification of the Volstead act even l if New York state stood alone.
 The drys were saying tonight that their opponents were approaching the whole issue with view of saving local organizations in localities known to be wet l Although overshadowed by the pro- hibition fight, the contest over the league of nations plank got increas- aereed conspicuously with the pres ident gathered. The general predic- l ticn was that the administration plank endorsing the league without destructive reservations would get a safe majority in the committee tho there might be a contest against it in the convention.
 There was much speculation about the form such fight might take \ and the presidents opponents rang ing from irreconcilables to very mild reservationists, apparently were at siXes and sevens on a program. Senator Reed, irreconcilable, said he Il did not know whether he would pre- sent his views to the committee or \ if seated as delegate, whether he would ask for vote on flat -rejec- ton of the treaty in the conven- ticn.
 II The exact position to be taken by MT. Bryan also remained more or less indefinite, though it was the I general expectation that he would fight the plank shaped by the admin istration and would be for declar- ation that the treaty be ratified with whatsoever concessions might be necessary in way of reservations.
 The disposition in still other quar- I ters was for plank advocating rati- fication with whatever reservations were deemed necessary ito protect American interests" The group urging that course agreed that the republican platform had presented an issue by condemning the president and upholding the senate, and that the wise course would be for the | democrats to take that issue into ! their own hands. The declaration out lined, it was asserted, would accomp 1 fish such a purpose.
 I Some senators who left President 1 Wilson last March to vote for ratifi- | no%snr urs+h ro~,l,1;oor