Evening star., 1936-05-10
PRESIDENT SHAPES
PARTY PLATFORM.
Roosevelt Will Dictate 1t,
but 1t Will Bear Wag-
ner'S Name.
BY ]. RUSSELL YOUNG.

President Roosevelt will not be
heralded as the author of the party
platform to be adopted by the Demo-
cratic National Convention in Phila-
delphia, but he will have more TO DO
with its writing than any one person.
Although Mr.. Roosevelt has made
no public statement, those close to
him know he proposes to go to the
convention in person to accept the
denomination. He inaugurated this
precedent when he few so dramatic
ally from his Hyde Park home in
New York to the Chicago convention
in 1892.
This innovation made such an i'm
preston that the Republican high
command is planning something
similar at their Cleveland convention,
two weeks in advance of the Demo-
cratic convention in Philadelphia.
Platform Taking Shape.
Already Mr.. Roosevelt's 1895 plat
form is taking shape. In its final
tee and later to the convention. it will
have been actually penned by Senator
Wagner, of New York, one of the
Presidents close friends and trusted
leaders in the Senate.
This document. 1t is known now,
will feature the Presidents aim for
social pioneering. and will contain
urgent recommendations for continued
social reforms.
There is reason to know the plat
form will feature a great Nation
wide home building program to pro-
vide low-cost and good homes for
citizens of small incomes.
1t will aim to provide something
to take up the slack in the unem-
ployment field.
1t will provide for what the Presi-
dent wants in the way Of better labor
conditions-better wages and shorter
work hours
1t will attempt to abolish child labor
and will endeavor to encourage the
spread of employment in various fields.
1t will promise continued progress
in the matter Of social security, old
| age pensions, aid to the under
privileged, opportunity to the Ameri-
can youth. further aid to agriculture.
the passage of ship subsidy bill and
food and drug law to meet modern
conditions, as well as a broad pro-
gram under the title Of conservation,
principally with a view to preventing
soil erosion, encouragement Of re-
forestation and flood control.
To Seek Economy Plank.
the President will, in his platform,
insist upon something to assure the
people he is anxious for a policy of
governmental economy and reduction
of the national debt 1t is quite posi-
BILE that in the paragraph dealing with
this subject he might refer to his last
budget message to the Congress in
which he pointed out that so far as
the normal expense of running the
Government was concerned he was
balancing the budget. but in view of
the emergency it was necessary to
spend many millions more for unem-
ployment and relief.
As for governmental economy, the
President will point out that already
he has named a special committee to
cooperate with similar ones composed
of Senate and House members to
study the subject of practical and effl-
cient reorganization of the executive
branches of the Government with
view of reducing actual expenses and
increasing efficiency.
Mr.. Roosevelt's ideas as to the good
neighbor" policy, not only for this
country. but in relation with the other
countries OF the world, will have a
prominent place in this forthcoming
platform. In the 1882 platform the
foreign policy was touched upon
briefly, but because Of subsequent
events in Europe it is felt the Presi-
dent may insist that more space be
given to this subject. He will want to
emphasize a foreign policy not only
of the good neighbor" aspect, but one
OF strong, but flexible neutrality. The
President is opposed to a neutrality
policy which puts up to him hard
and-fast mandate.