Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-06-30
Colby Advocates
Light Vine
and Beer
PRESIDENT VIEWS
MAYA VORLSSUE
Committeeman Also
Back Amending
Volstead Act.

TOLSf0QQ ACL.
BY the Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 30.-Accord-
ing TO administration chiefs. the sub
committee of nine drafting the demo-
cratic platform has practically agreed
on prohibition plank, which is de-
scribed ''as slightly moist" and as
being in support of the constitutional
amendment" but with declaration for
Personal liberty and against "vexa-
tious interferenceS.
A league of nations plank, the
same administration chiefs said. has
been agreed upon Just as woodrow
Wilson wants it, without the dottng
of an i' or the crossing of a t."
As forecast, it follows almost
identically the line of the Virginia
platform previously approved by
President Wilson.
After session of less than half
an hour the subcommittee suspended
its deliberations temporarily and left
for the convention hall. No state
ment was forthcoming regarding. the
progress made.
Bryan Plank Impossible.
careful count of the full commit
tee and survey of the convention,
these administration chiefs said, made
them confident that William ]. Bryan
could not get his prohibition plank
into the platform.
The agreement was in such form,
they said. that it was not improbable
that their work would be- laid before
the full committee on resolutions late
this afternoon
With Secretary Colby leading the
fight for a light wine and beer plank.
the problem showed signs of becom-
ing the most troublesome facing the
little circle of platform builders.
: A canvass of sentiment soon after
the meeting began last night is said
10 have shown majority sentiment
against any wet declaration. but
when the subcommittee came formally
TO take up prohibitions proposals in
the natural course OF its deliberations
1t was decided to reopen. the whole
Subject.
l Besides the plank offered by Secre-
rary Colby, various wet declarations
On different forms were suggested.
Ind the drys also put forward set
sf proposals ranging from an ultra
dry declaration to plain law en-
forcement promise.
Views Widely Diverse.
In the subcommittee the councils of
the administration men were widely di-
verse, Secretary Colby talked platform
with President Wilson just before he left
Washington, but he has long been an
opponent of bone-dry laws. and many
believed he was speaking only his
convictions on the subject. Senator
Glass, who also gave the Presidents
views on party declarations, is un-
-derstood to have taken the position
that there should be no liquor plank
at all, and Senator Mcclellan. an
other consistent administration sup
porter, submitted the bone-dry plank
drawn by William j. Bryan.
The result was to put the subject
into such a tangle that no member of
the, committee felt certain of the out
come. Some of them were'inciined to
pass the whole question over without
decision and let the wets and drys
fight. 1t out in the full platform COM
mittee after the subcommittee report
has been submitted.
Some of the committeeman were of
the opinion that the Volstead act
should be amended SO as to make its
enforcement less stringent.
A wide variety of suggestions.
ranging from the strictest enforce
ment of the law to Colby's sugges-
brought in the Bryan proposal.
On the first division in the platform
committee on an angle of the prohibi- :
fion fight today the Bryan dry forces
were forced, over their protest. by a
vote of % to 25 to present their case
ITSl IN t0e hearings.
The discussion embraced a wide
range of subjects, including the
league of nations, but prohibition
had the floor most of the time.
subcommittee still in Session.
Early this morning the subcommit-
tee of nine still was in session debat-
ing the various administration planks
which had been brought from Wash
ington. The prospects were that they
would continue and then break ur
without having made a real start on
the finished platform draft.
Although many minor planks had
been virtually settled. some in prin-
ciple only and others in phraseology
as well, most of the troublesome
major problems remained unsolved
when the subcommittee of nine pre-
pairing tentative draft reconvened
today at $50 G2:30) after less thar
eight hours rest
With the meeting of the full reSo-
lutions committee scheduled for 10 q
p.m.) o'clock, the subcommittee ar
ranged to meet with the main body
report partial progress and then re-
sumo it's labors. BY afternoon OIL
night. Chairman Carter Glass said, il
was hoped to go finally before the full
committee. where long, spirited dis
cussion was in prospect. With a late
session tonight, leaders hoped to be
able to bring the completed product
Convention Not to Interfere.
The convention proceedings will moi
interfere with the platform. committee
men continuing their work without in
terruption. as the program calls for the
delivery of presidential nominating
speeches which will consume virtually
all of today's session.
The league of nations and prohibition
remained the big barriers to agreement
Adjustment of the league question
however was said to be in fair way
OF realization.
Some of the subcommittee were op
timistic over prospects of harmony OF
this fundamental dispute. They hat
slept on administration and other pro
posed planks stuffed in their pocket,
when their meeting broke up shortly be
fore O'Clock this morning, and it wa.
asserted by influential subcommitte
members that the tentative recon-
mendation of the league and treat.
plank would go to the full COMMITTEE
with virtually substantial agreement
Some of the more hopeful even ex
pressed the view that the threatepe,
fight in the full committee might b.
sVertcd.
On prohibition the subcommittee re
mained largely at sea. All suggestion
for wet" plank. which would declar
for repeal of the eighteenth amendmen
or annulment of the Volstead enforce