Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-06-30
PLATFORM MAKERS
DRAW MOIST PLANK.
League of Nations Pronounce
ment Said to Be Acceptable
to President
COLBY LEADS WET FIGHT
BY the Associated Press


San Francisco. June 30.--Accordinp
70 administration chiefs the subcom
mittee of nine drafting the Democratic
platform has virtually agreed on a pro
bibition plank which Is described las
sliphtly moist" and as being in sup
mort of the constitutional amendment.
biit with declarations for personal lib
erty and against ''vexatious interfer :
ences."
A league of nations plank, the same
administration chiefs said. has been
agreed upon "just as Woodrow Wilson
wants it, without the dotting of an I
or the crossing of (. AS forecast.
Il follows almost identically the line OF
the Virginia platform previously ap-
proved by President Wilson.
In handling the prohibition question,
administration leaders were reported to
be maneuvering to bring before the con :
vention plank which could be cham
pioned as an administration measure
To this end it was planned to include
n clause indorsing President Wilson's
veto of the Volstead act.
This could be accomplished, 1t was
believed, and the administration
strength on the convention floor would
be more than sufficient to push 1t
through.
That floor fight on prohibition could
be avoided was believed by administra- :
tion leaders, as well as predicted by
the "drys,' to be impossible. On a
straight "wet" or "dry" question it
was generally conceded that the ma =
jority of the delegates would vote
'dry." but the proposed Slightly
moist" plank, backed with declara
tion upholding President Wilson, was
believed to have better. than a good
chance.
Little trouble over the administra- =
tion treaty plank was expected in the
subcommittee. It's handling was said
to be left entirely to Secretary Colby for
advocacy In the full committee tonight
and also in the convention.
Platform Suggestions Invited
When the full platform committee re =
assembled ut II o'clock today, Sen
ator Glass reported that the subcom-
mittee was not ready to report and a
recess was taken until Z 80 tonight.
The subcommittee then again went into
session with its members divided in their
opinions as to whether it would be pos
sible to report mt the hour fixed.
Senator McKellar said he thought
the platform trainers would be very
lucky" IL they were able to complete
their tentative draft by Z 80, but Sem
ator Glass expressed confidence that a
report would be ready.
At the suggestion of former Governor
McCorkle. Of West Virginia. members
Of the full committee were invited to
file platform suggestions with the sub
committee. There were no echoes In
today's meeting, however. of the OBJ
jections made by Senator Walsh to the
subcommittee plan of going ahead
without consulting Mt length with the
other committee members.
The first suggested plank handed into
the subcommittee was one by Senator
Pomerene. Of Ohio, regarding the League
Of Nations. It provided for ratifca
tion without "impairing reservations. "
but added that differences of opinion on
that subject should be $50 harmoniZed
that the treaty may be ratified without
unnecessary delay"
With Secretary Colby leading the fight
for light wine and beer plank, the
problem showed signs of becoming the
most troublesome facing the little circle
Of platform builders.
A canvas of sentiment soon after the
meeting began last night is said to
have shown majority sentiment
against any wet declaration, but when
the subcommittee came formally to take
up prihibition proposals it was decided
to reopen the whole subject.
Besides the plank offered by Secre-
tary Colby, various wet declarations
In different forms were suggested and
the drys also put forward n set of
proposals ranging from an ultra dry de-
cision to a plain law enforcement
promise.
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 long has been
an opponent of bone dry laws and many
believed he was speaking only his own
convictions on the subject. Senator
Glass, who also was given the Presi-
dents views on party declarations, is
understood to have taken the position
that there should be no liquor plank at
all. Senator McKellar, another con
sistent administration supporter, sub
mltted the bone dry plank drawn by
William ]. Bryan.
RANKS defining the Democratic party's
attitude on the League of Nations and
the prohibition question, two of the
prominent issues before the subcom
mittee, have not been finally decided
upon, though it Is said an agreement
is not far off on the league declaration.
Regardless of the action taken by the
subcommittee, members said there was
sure to be a fight in the full committee
over both questions and that the losers
would carry an appeal to the conven- =
tion for final decision.
So far as the main body of the plat :
form was concerned, the subcommittee
found little difficulty in agreeing. The
Virginia platform, indorsed by Presi-
dent Wilson and brought to San Fran
cisco by Senator Glass. was said to
have furnished the basis for declara
tions readi ily agreed to regarding the
general principles of the party.
Senator Glass sat as chairman Of the
subcommittee, and his advocacy of ad :
ministration policies was seconded by
Secretary Colby. A majority of the
other members were regarded as ad-
ministration supporters, and the chief
ooJector to the blanket Endorsement of
the League Of Nations desired by the
ADMINISTRATION was said to be Senator
walsh, who voted in the Senate to take
the Republican reservations.
sitting with the subcommittee during
part OF its deliberations was George
Sreel, head of the public information
bureau in Washington during the war