Evening star., 1934-12-30
Vandenberg Offers Liberal
Platform, to Rerire G.. o. p.
Michigan Senator You'd
Rebuild Party on
Present Machine.
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.

BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.
The Republican clinic, designed for
revitahzing the G. o. p, heard from
another political physician last night.
Senator Arthur H. Vandenberg Of
Michigan.
The Michigan Senator, who was re-
elected in November when many Of
his Republican colleagues were falling
before the Democratic attack, called
for liberal party program. At the
same time he did not propose to wreck
the present national Republican ma
chine.
The new psychology" must be rec
ognized, as the country moves into
new post war conditions, he said. That
new psychology demands new meas
ures of social responsibility for mass
protection and mass equities.
Offers New Measures"
Among these measures, Senator
Vandenberg listed unemployment in
surance, retirement pensions, mini
mum wage laws, the demonstration
of war, the termination Of investment
rackets and the end Of tax exemptions.
All Of these measures Of social respon-
sibility, he insisted, can be attained
without the surrender Of a single
sound and essential fundamental" f'F
As possible issues against the Demo-
cratic party and administration Sem
ator Vandenberg mentioned loose
fiscal policy" "domineering bureau
cracy" and the rape OF the civil
service"
The Republican party, Senator
Vandenberg said. should always
stand for effective protective tariffs
that measure the difference OF costs
in production at home and abroad and
for resistance to the creeping paralysis
which now threatens the only eco
and sustain higher standards OF iv-
ing and of wages in the United States.
Blames Under consumption.
I'm my view" he said, "our own
under consumption rather than our
own production is at fault to-
day. It cannot be rebuilt without
protection. Generally speaking,
should expect our Republicanism to
consider it folly to abandon primary
dedication to our own national in
terest''
The Republican party, in the opinion
of Senator Vandenberg, must look
to its national convention in 1886
to write its creed, choose its leaders
and to select a new national COM
TD rnfir10 he would
have the present National Commit
tee, which is elected until 1896, pro-
vide impartiaIly for discussions Of is
sues and programs and for carrying
on an intensive campaign Of organi-
zation. He urged the National Com
mittee to plan q free and representa-
tive convention, protected against 'an
preliminary manipulation, in behalf Of
special interest or special ambition,
which would rob it of vitality in pro-
portion as it be robbed Of freedom"
The immediate Job" for Repub-,
licans in Congress, Senator Vanden-
berg said, 'is to conduct themselves
on basis of constructive co-opera-
tion-frankly supporting the good Gin
the administration program, frankly
challenging the bad; and then with a
sound record for background, to as
semble in 1896 to seek the forward
looking program which win assure to
America the continued influence VI
great and reliable party"
Advises Against Splits.
"If we split into q multiplicity of
parties, the traditional American sys-
tenn is terminated" he predicted.
Senator Vandenberg's proposals for
revitahzing the Republican party were
contained in a letter addressed to Chase
Mellen, jr., chairman of the New York
County Republican Committee, which
has undertaken to provide an open
forum for the discussion of Repub-
hcan problems and which has already
heard from Senator William E. Borah
of Idaho, Senator Gerald P. Nye of
North Dakota, and other distinguished
members of the G. o. P. The Michi-
gan Senator had been invited to ad-
dress meeting under the auspices OF
the committee, in company with Gov.
Winant, but was unable to be present.
Coming from one Of the big, Mid
die West States which has been
strongly Republican in the past and
which in the last election showed .
distinct swing back to the G. o. P,
Senator Vandenberg has frequently
been mentioned as q possible stand
ard bearer for the party tn 1886.
What he had to say about the use
of the present Republican national
organization differs widely from the
advice given by Senator Borah and
Senator Nye, for example, who de-
manded that without delay there be
a revamping of the National Com
mittee and the ousting Of all old
leaders who have been connected in
the public mind with past Repubh-
can administrations.
Urges Wide Discussion.
At the same time, the Michigan
Senator strongly urged the widest
kind of discussion of the issues Of
the day by all Republican groups. He
recommended that the National Com