Evening star., 1936-07-12
TOWNSEND GROUP
MAY SET COURSE
AT OHIO PARLEY
Lemke and CoughIin Likely
to Attend Conference
Wednesday.
UNION PARTY FATE
BELIEVED IN BALANCE
Senator La Toilette Expected to
Shed Light on Progressive
Conference He Plans.
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The Townsend old = age pension
planners are to occupy the political
spotlight this week. They are staging
a conference in Cleveland, beginning
Wednesday.
Whether steps will be taken to bring
the Townsendites into line with the
new Union party, launched largely
through the efforts of Father Coughlin
and his National Union for Social
Justice, remains to be seen. Repre-
sentative William Lemke of North Da-
kota, who has announced his candi-
dacy for President, may go to Cleve-
land during the Townsend conference.
So may Father Coughlin. although it
is not definitely announced. Rev.
Gerald Smith, organizer of the Huey
P. Long "share-the-wealth" clubs, is
to attend the conference and deliver
an address.
While these third party maneuvers
are looking the situation over in
Cleveland, Senator Robert NJ. La
Toilette of Wisconsin is expected to
return to Washington and throw more
light on the Progressive conference
which he announced would be called
after the national conventions of the
Republicans and the Democrats had
been concluded.
Support for Roosevelt.
La Toilette is regarded as a sure
supporter of the Roosevelt candidacy
for President. The Progressive con-
ference which he is planning has
been looked upon as an attempt to
offset the movement for the radical
Union party and to make votes for
the Roosevelt ticket. The Progress
sives are expected to declare set of
principles at their conference and to
assert that these principles can best
be served by supporting Roosevelt for
reelection.
The Democratic high command has
keen interest in this La Toilette
Progressive movement. If the Lemke-
OBrien national ticket makes head
way in number of States, the chances
are that 1t will take more votes from
Roosevelt than from Landon. Take
Massachusetts,. for example, where
Father Coughlin is reported to have a
considerable following. The recruits
for the new third party, backed by
Coughlin in the Bay State, would
make serious inroads on the Demo-
Gratis. For in Massachusetts, the fol-
lowers of Father Coughlin are largely
Democrats If the third party should
r,,y, mall in Mipnesofo in NjcbiCop
and in other States of the West, the
votes it culls will come from the group
which ordinarily might be expected to
follow Roosevelt.
A good deal, so far as the Union
party is concerned, will depend upon
whether the Townsendites agree to
go along with Lemke The National
Union for Social Justice is to have a
national meeting in Cleveland Aug
ust IA to 16. Father Coughlin's latest
pronouncement is that Lemke is ELI
gible" for Endorsement by the Ma
tional Union and that Roosevelt and
Landon are not.
Big Parties Busy.
AS the disgruntled third-party plan
ners go forward with their plans, the
Democrats and Republicans are not
letting the grass grow under their
feet. The Democratic high command
is not overlooking bet 1t is seeking
to iron out troubles in various States
and to strengthen its national ticket
by having the right" candidates Sc
lected to run for State Offices Having
obtained the consent of Gov. Lehman
to run again in New York at the head
of the State ticket. it has given Frank
Murphy of Detroit a leave of absence
from his post as high commissioner
to the Philippines so that he may run
for Governor of Michigan on the
(See TOWNSEND. Page A-3.l