Evening star., 1936-07-15
effective. Out in my State we're
EfiHkiHn IA pancaualk

effective. Out In my State we're
sticking to Roosevelt"
DR.. Townsend, while he insisted that
he had no thought Of attempting to
influence the course of the present
convention with respect to presidential
candidates, was sharply caustic in his
comments on President Roosevelt.
Il won't vote for Roosevelt and ]
won't vote for Landon," he said. II
am against both Of the old parties.
I'd vote for Socialist before I'd vote
for Roosevelt and God knows I'm no
Socialist. Pick up the Democratic
platform of 1882 and see how many
of the promises Roosevelt made then
have been carried out The Republic
ans before that were Just as bad"
Tell them" interjected Rev. Mr..
Smith, that we're against the dicta-
torship of persecution directed against
our leaders"
This reference was to the arrest of
DR.. Townsend and two of his aides
for contempt Of the House Investigat-
ing Committee, which both Townsend
and Smith at the time attributed to
administration influence.
THE Roosevelt regime has been un-
fair, haphazard and brainless," DR..
Townsend continued. A third party,
| he said, was inevitable, but it was a
question as to whether one could be
made effective in the campaign imme-
diately ahead.
Plot RumoT Discussed.
Reports that Townsend and Smith
were conspiring with Lemke and Rev.
Father Charles E. Coughlin and that
their real purpose was to split the
Democratic vote and thus aid the Re-
publicans figured prominently in the
secret discussions of the Townsend
leaders concerning organization, which
occupied all of Tuesday.
When it was brought out before the
Congressional Investigating Committee
several months ago that the Townsend
movement was an oligarcy in which
DR.. Townsend held all the strings, he
announced that in future the organ
ization would be "democratized. 4"
Specifically he asked each State group
to name a citizen maximi" to sit in
ad advisory committee of 48 which,
at some time in future, would be per-
mitted to name the national officers
OF the Townsend organization.
The citizens mayimi appeared on the
scene for the first time Tuesday and, If
reports coming from behind the closed
doors are to be believed, they stirred
up considerable row. First, they de-
manded that they be permitted i'm
meoiately to take control and. secondly.
they accused DR.. Townsend of at
tempting to use the organization for
divers and sundry political purposes
They wanted to know why Rev. Mr..
Smith, distinctly a newcomer in the
field OF old-age pensions, had been
admitted to the National Board of
Directors and permitted to speak for
the movement. Most of all a numper
Of the maximi resented the suggestion
of q working alliance between the
Townsend movement and Father
Coughlin's Union for Social Justice.
Declares Problems Ironed Out.
Between the broiling temperature
and the dissension among his sup
porters. DR.. Townsend appeared to be
having a very bad day. but toward
nightfall he announced that all of the
organization problems had been ironed
out
The present board Of directors
strictly of his own creation-he said
had been elected to serve until July
IS, 1887. and NO change could be made
in the system before that time. The