Evening star., 1932-04-14

ROOSEVELT Is ABSENT
Gov. Roosevelt, acknowledged to b,
the leading candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination today, was not pres
ent. His determination not to attenC
the Jefferson day dinner here was at
tributed by some Of his friends to al.
legged hostility on the part of Smith
John J. Raskob, chairman OF Tho
Democratic National Committee. anC
Jouett Shouse, in charge of Democratic
national headquarters.
Without using Gov. Roosevelt's name
Mr.. Smith at another place in his ad
dress cracked the New York Governo
ecross the knuckles. Roosevelt, in hi
radio address, pleading for the littl
fellow and attacking the Reconstruction
Finance Corporation for which tn,
Democrats in Congress had voted salt
one of the first things which must b,
done is TO restore the purchasing powe
OF the farmer.
This country" said Mr.. Smith. ii
sick and tired Of listening to politica
campaign orators who tell us what i
the matter with U.S. Few. If any. o
them know what the cure is. 1
Is perfectly easy thing to say we mus
restore the purchasing power of tn,
farmer. Fine! OF course we must
But how are we going to do it? woulC
sooner have a short hand shake will
the fellow who knows how to do Il
than listen for a week to the fellow WHIT
knows how to tell you what the trouble
is"
Referendum Plank Seen.
It was Gov. Roosevelt, too. who re.
ferred in his same radio address to 6
big public works program, financed
through bond issue. to help relieve
unemployment as stop gap" Smith
last night referred to leading Demo.
crat who opposes such a public work,
program and used the word stop gap.
Smith himself has been an earnest sup
porter of such program and declared
himself again in favor of it.
Scarcely less spectacular was the dec
laration of former Gov. Harry Flooc
Byrd Of Virginia for a submission OF
the prohibition question to the people
themselves. 1t was perhaps more full
of portent for the Democratic party
With his declaration practically van
fishes all doubt. If any existed. that the
Democratic platform to be drafted ir
Chicago. will contain a referendum
plank dealing with prohibition.
Mr.. Byrd hitherto has been leader
Of the dry forces in the Democratic
party. His proposal was greeted with
cheers by the 1000 guests who filled
the banquet hall.
His proposal called for a constitu-
tional amendment permitting the peo-
pie themselves to register their will in
q general election on this subject of ma
tional prohibition.
Differs From Raskob's Plan.
A majority of the voters In three
fourths of the States would be necessary
under his plan to change the Consti-
tuition as it relates to national prohi-
bition.
Congress, by a two-thirds vote OF
both houses, would frame the proposed
change In the eighteenth amendment
and fix the time for the election.
Mr.. Byrd's proposal differs radically
from that advanced by Chairman John
j. Raskob of the Democratic National
Committee calling for home rule" and
permitting individual States to get out
from under the eighteenth amendment
by majority vote Of their peoples. 1t
is nevertheless a method by which the
whole people may express themselves
upon the question of national pro-
hibition.
These declarations by Smith and
Byrd overshadowed in interest and i'm
portance politically the addresses de-
hvered by former Gov. James M. Cox
OF Ohio, the Democratic nominee for
President in 1920 by Gov. Albert C.
Richie OF Maryland, candidate, as IS
Mr.. Smith, for the presidential nomina-
tion this year, and by Shouse.
Byrd's Proposal.
Mr.. Byrds proposed constitutional
amendment which he read to the as
senblage was as follows:
THE Congress, whenever two-third's
of both houses shall deem it necessary
shall propose an amendment or amend
mentS to or the repeal of Article XVIII
Of the amendments to this Constitution,
or TO any future amendment or amend
ments thereof, which shall be valid to
all intents and purposes, as part of this
Constitution, when ratified at an election
to be held in each of the several States
on certain day, to be designated by
Congress, by the majority of the cleo
tors voting thereon in three-fourth's OF
the several States. The electors in each
State shall have the qualifications
requisite for the electors of the most
numerous branch Of the State Legisla-
tures"
Mr.. Byrd prefaced his reading Of
the proposed amendment by saying he
had throughout his public career sup
ported dry legislation and advocated
temperance.
"The prohibition law and all other
laws should be enforced" he said, but
we must recognize that no law is
stronger than the public sentiment to
sustain 1t"
Smith Outlines Debt Plan.
After declaring it is evident to al
the foreign debtor nations will not be
able to resume payments to the United
States at the conclusion of the Hoover
one-year moratorium, Mr.. Smith gave
his plan for dealing with these debts
in the interest of economic recovery in
this country and abroad He said:
Let us say to the nations of Europe
who owe us money that we will forget
all about it for 20 years and, not only
will we do that, but We will write of
as paid each year rs per cent of the
gross value Of American products which
they buy from us. This, in effect, is
to say to any nation which owes us
money, If it purchases $l00,000,000 OF
our cotton, we will forget $4,000, 900 OF
its Indebtedness. If it will buy $780,
900, 900 of our wheat, our fruit, our
tobacco or any of our manufactured
products, we will forget 25,000,000 of
its Indebtedness. Figures here used are
arbitrary and are intended only to eX-
press the principle. This will help the
farmer and the laborer, it will help
the mill owner. it will help the manu-
facturer, it will help the railroads and
the transportation industries and in
turn help all the various lines Of activi-
ties that are dependent upon the rail-
roads and help solve the problem of
unemployment generally.
IT assert that this is a far better
way to restore trade than the present
method of sitting idly by, clamoring for
the payment Of debts which we know
cannot be paid and thereby losing for
the farmers and manufacturers and
workingmen of the United States more
billions Of dollars than the whole
European debt.
Repeats Tariff Formula.
'"rhis plan will start from the ports
OF the United States a flood OF Ameri-
can-made goods into the homes and
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