The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-06-24
MANY GROUPS JOIN DEMAND FOR KLANPLANK Cummings Hopes For Complete Settlement
 In Committee LEAGUE ISSUE
 LOOMS LARGE Glass Proposal Gains Gen. eral Favor With Will
 son Followers

NEW YORK, June 23.-Volun- teer platform builders had another busy day today, but if anything their labors served only to bring into bolder relief the differences over four of the principal blanks. those dealing with the Ku klux Klan, foreign relations, prohibition and farm aid.
 As matters stood on the eve of the first meeting of the platform committee of the democratic na- ti0nal convention they were ready for that committee no less than three separate drafts of complete platforms and a score of more in- dividual blanks, most of them deal- ing with the four most contro- verted subjects.
 Only 8 Beginning.
 These were all the products of groups of leaders, individual chief tains or emerged from sessions of state delegations. Consequently they do not embrace the many suggestions in writ ten form which will come from the 0utside-from labor, business, women s "wet' and dry and other organiza7 4 tions. ,/
 Despite the gaps that divide the minds of leaders, particularly on the klan and League of Nations issues, Homer Cummings of C0hnecticut. who is slated for the cha2rmanship of the troubles and differences would be ad- justed in the committee, making floor fights unnecessary. Others high with ly fI- niistic and minority reports from the ccnmitteY with contests on the floor were toFecast in several quarters. Be- eldes Ehe klan and league questions, soms thought that only the convention coYd finally determine the broadness 0E the expression by the party on pro- <hibition and law enforcement. Whit the arrival of Senator Oscar ". Underwood of Alabama with a strong anti-Ku Klux Klan plank, and th8 voi of the Massachusetts delega- ti04 dig ecting Senator Walsh of that Atafs tG fight for a plank naming the klsn a. such an dcOndemning it in no onesPtain terms, the lines were even niore sharply drawn on that question. The Ohio delegation also instructed for mer Secretary Baker to present Ed IlHhd E. MoOre's anti-Klan plank to the platform committee, and urge it's adoptina.
 Bryan Joins Battle
 lz Nnsi0n J. Bryan and the Indiana ( slegaticn added their support to those who favor omission of the name of the kian. Bryan's plank would simply re. affirm He party's devOitno to the fun. danaenta principles of the constitution hy which the rights of civil and re- EsfeSs Liberty are guaranteed but the Indiana plank would go much further. In fact, the plank which 1t will pro- pose is identical with that adopted by che Indiana democratic state conven- ton except that the language is changed to make it q national party instead of a state party expression.
 Senator Carter Glass of Virginia and other Wilson followers who have in. sisted that the League of Nations be dominated in the foreign relations pro. vision, were reinforced with the ar. rival of Newton D. Baker and former Senator Gilbert M. Hitchcock of Ne. braska, who led the Wilson fight in the Senate for ratification of the league covenant.
 Both Mir. Hitchcock and Mir Baker will present blanks with direct refer.
 
 cock would declare that the democratic party rejected the claim by republican leaders that as far as the United States is concerned the league is a closed incl. den, but there would be the reservation that the party would be content to leave the ultimate result to time and nonpartisan decision.
 Proposal In Line
 . sa .Al. AL. which Senator Glass has been contend. ing since his first informal platform discussions last week Mir. Bakers plan has not been made public, but it is un- deRbtood that it contains a similar ex- pression to that in the Glass plan-that R&Ae United States adhere to the league in time with reservations safeguarding its sovereignty.
 Line of differences over the prOhibi- tion and law enforcement plank are not As sharply defined as are those over the league and klan issues, but in the contending ranks there is a spirit of determination equally as pronounced.
 The main fighting point is whether there shall be any expression by the party regarding the right of the people through their representatives to modify laws enacted under the eighteenth n nGEn6Ndment. In the background are ele- saents cOhtending for a direct express sion against the Volstead act and for a forceful expression regarding enforce ment of both the eighteenth amend mAft and the Volstead act
 The Massachusetts delegation voted today to direct it's representatives on the platform committee to contend for a declaration against the Volstead act