The Washington times., 1936-06-08
.LAND0N GROUP
URGES SOUND
MONEY PLANK
Would Strip President
of Power to Lower
Dollar Value
Continued from Page ~

the nation of sound money and at
the same time placating farmer
groups demanding the commodity
dollar.
The tentative proposals called
for q pledge by the party to main
tain sound and stable currency,
to be tied to gold whenever prac-
ticable in the future, with a fur
ther pledge to strip President
Roosevelt of his money devalua-
ton powers and to seek world
sterilization to halt destructive
currency depreciation wars.
While former President Herbert
Hoover was expected to demand
a return to gold, Senator William
E. Borah, Landon supporters and
"farm belt" members opposed 1t.
The decision of the platform
builders was influenced by reports
from political leaders in north
eastern States. Farmers in strong
Republican territory were reported
to be aroused over the commodity
dollar" proposal with which the
Democratic Administration had
flirted but refused to adopt.
Tariff Upset
A wholly unexpected and SEN
sational rise of sentiment against
flat high tariff declaration threw
the platform builders into con-
fusion. One of the group writing
the platform most likely to be ap-
proved in the resolutions commit
tee said:
eve have been surprised to
find a lot of free traders. We
are not certain just what we
can put in the platform. But it
probably will call for revision of
the reciprocal trade treaty law
without repeal, lodge power Of
veto in the Senate, force pub
licity and provide for abandon
ment Of the most favOred-natiOn
principle"
Another battle developed over
the farm plank which had not been
settled in almost continuous con-
ferences between platform build
ers, farm groups and Eastern in
terests for the past "a hours.
Farm Subsidies Talked
One group urged payment Of
subsidies to farmers on a new soil
conservation plan similar to that
adopted by the Roosevelt Admin
istration as a substitute for the
AAA. This group proposed to
take the farm question out Of pol.
iticS.
The Landon forces were conf
dent that the Republican conven-
ton will adopt platform plank
giving States the power to i'm.
pose minimum wages, regulate
hours Of labor and working con-
ditions.
Opposition Of Senator Borah,
GOODNESS Of Senator Vandenberg
and a few others, spokesman for
the Landon group said, cannot
prevent adoption Of the proposal.
Spokesman for the American
Farm Bureau Federation, declar-
ing themselves dissatisfied with
the nations present money policy,
called for a platform plank ap-
proving the commodity dollar.
Eastern leaders unequivocably
demanded a ringing declaration
in favor Of sound money together
with assurance Of a stabilized dol
lar.
The demand Of Mr.. Hoover's
friends for platform Endorsement
OF his four-year administration
took convention leaders by sur
prise. One of the former Presi-
dents highest councillors declared
that the fight for Endorsement will
be carried into the secret sessions
of the resolutions committee,
which will be named tomorrow.
HOOver'S Principles
In his speech to the convention,
Hoover IS expected to touch upon
these platform principles:
l. A balanced budget, stop
page Of the increase in national
debt and an end to waSteful ex.
penditures.
2. Reestablishment Of the gold
standard with repeal Of laws
permitting the President to Gin
flate currency and gamble in
foreign exchange; banking re-
forms.
3. An end to the spoils sys-