The Washington times., 1924-06-26
8 PLANKS STILL
UVDEC|DED.|N
PLATFORM
Ku KIux, League and Liquor
Issues May Be Fought on
Convention Floor
Continued from First Page)

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fashioned after the plan Of John
HI. Clarke, former associate justice
of the Supreme Court and an ardent
pro-Leaguer. In it, Clarke proposed
Congress to declare war, reservine
tons permitting only the American
Congress to declare war ,reserVing
all domestic questions from the
Leagues jurisdiction.
The second plank, drafted by
those opposed to making the League
an issue, would pledge the Demo
cratic party to an extensive foreign
policy Of friendly cooperation for
the purpose Of opening foreign
markets but would declare the
League a non-partisan issue not
to be injected into the coming po-
Htical Campaign.
Because of this long discussion,
the conferees then postponed further
action on controversial subjects and
rushed through their program of
economic issues. New tax reduc-
tons, tariff revision, a railroad
policy, the labor plank, waterway
and good road improvements, postal
pay increases, the oil scandal plank.
and an extensive agriculture relief
program were recommended in rapid
succession.
The next obstacle was reached
when the prohibition plank came
under discussion. One faction, led
by William Jennings Bryan, de-
manded a specific reference to en-.
forcement Of the Eighteenth Amend
ment with condemnation for lax
Republican administration of the
dry law. This met with stubborn
opposition and a rumor travelled by
subterranean channels that tho sub.
committee planned to back-track on
the prohibition issue.
Bryan Is Victor.
The ,rumor sped through the
hotels, apparently, for shortly after
wards Wayne B. Wheeler, general
1ssimo of the Anti-Saloon League,
arrived in a hurry for a conference
with Bryan. He left soon, smiling
with satisfaction. A few minutes
later Congressman William D. Up
shaw, dry leader Of the House, ap.
peared and Bryan again went into
conference. He apparently con-
vinced the House dry spokesman
there was no cause for alarm. The
plank eventually adopted, pledged
strong enforcement Of the dry law,
but rumors persisted it might be
changed before the platform is sub
mitted to the convention.
Bryan scored another victory a
little later when the conferees In
dorsed his plank pledging the lem,
ocratic party to a referendum on
war. It put the "Commoner" in
such good humoor that he delayed
consideration of other planks for
twenty minutes while recitng anus
ing anecdotes from his varied
career.
Another surprise marked the com
mittee's deliberations when the
plank Of Senator William H. King
OF Utah, proposing immediate
recognition Of the Philippine people
was adopted without serious opposi.
ton. A counter proposal to post.
pone recognition for four years
OF Massachusetts,, was first defeated
offered by Senator David I. Walsh
Work On Khan Plank.
It was long after midnight when
the confereeS returned to the dis.
puted kan plank. The tired gather.
Ing argued tor two hours over the
inclusion of the klan's name. with
an agreement impossible, the com.
mittee decided to let Bryan and
Senator Walsh attempt to draft q
compromise to be presented to the
committee this afternoon. Both
had their own planks. Bryan ignor.
ing the khan while Walsh called for
its specific condemnation.
The conferees then adjourned
turning their recommendations over
to Cummings and Pittman for
collaboration into a tentative plat
form. While the league and khan
planks remained uncertain, the re-
mainder of the platform was as
sured Of adoption.
League Compromise Rumored.
AS the resolutions committee re-
sumed sessions behind locked doors
1t was reported that a compromise
agreement had been reached on the
League Of Nations plank. This
would accept in substance the
league proposal Of Justice Clark,
with a reservation by Alfred Luck.
ing, Of Michigan, pledging the party
first to submit the question to q
referendum before entering the
league. The proposal was said to
have gained numerous adherents on
the committee.
The Khan fight was still wide
open although there was a decided
tendency among members Of the
subcommittee to omit specific men,
ton Of the hooded organization by
name. Those who opposed mention
of the khan said inclusion of an anti
khan plank would ruin the party's
chances this year."
Good Progress Reported.
Despite this belief there was no
concealing the conviction on the
committee that the convention, no
matter what Is done by the COM
mittee, will vote to insert a plank
denouncing the khan.
Such unexpected progress was
made in drafting the platform by
the subcommittee that Senator King
of. Utah shortly utter the session
got under way, announced he
would press for a night session of
the convention in order to act upon
the platform, thus enabling the bal.
loting for the Presidential nominee
to start tomorrow. Senator Pitt
man of Nevada who with Homer s..
Cummings of Connecticut worked all
night on the draft, brought twelve
copies OF the tentative platform
with him today.
A report leaked out that, unable
to come any amicable agreement,
the members of the, subcommittee
had decided to avoid taking any
definite stand on the highly con.
troversial planks, such as the khan
and the league, and would turn over
their report to the full committee
1or final decision presenting two