Evening star., 1936-06-23

legislation and the spending program
backed away today from membership
in the Resolutions Committee. Senator
Adams of Colorado declined to have
his name put up for the committee.
Senator Tydings of Maryland was not
on the committee. Senator Walsh Of
Massachusetts, was elected to the COM
mittee by his State delegation. He was
not here when the convention got
under way today, but is expected.
Frankly some of the Senators who
have declined to become members Of
the Platform Committee say they
are unwilling to acquiesce in a report
which they may consider unsound.
They are apparently willing to sit
in a convention which indorses the
platform and not go to the length Of
making fight against 1t.
Platform Seen Radical.
The belief that the platform is to be
radical has grown here today, particu-
larly after it was learned that John l..
Lewis, president of the United Mine
Workers. after a visit to the White
House, had given the tentative plans
for the platform his blessing.
Secretary of State Cordell Hull, a
delegate to the convention from his
native State of Tennessee. was on deck
when the convention met today. He
has asked not to be appointed to any
Of the standing committees of the con-
vention. This does not mean he is
unsympathetic with the administra-
tion, however. Undoubtedly his ad-
vice will be sought in connection with
the platform planks dealing with for
eign relations and the tariff. Hull is
strongly devoted to the, reciprocal
trade agreements and believes that
they will survive, no matter what hap
pens in the election.
The platform drafting, up to the
present, has been in the hands Of
Senator Wagner of New York, slated
by the administration to be chair
man of the Resolutions Committee,
working in conjunction with the
President and other advisers. 1t
looks as though the draft Of the
platform. when approved finally by
the President, will be must" legisla-
ton for the convention. Chairman
Farley does not expect minority re-
port. The President will have to
stand on the platform and campaign
for it.
COnferS With Farley.
Senator Wagner came to Farleys
headquarters at 1870 o'clock, an hour
later than expected. He was closeted
with Farley for 10 minutes, but said
their discussion was general in ma
ture and did not go into details so
far as the platform is concerned.
He indicated hearings by the Plat
form Committee will not start today,
but said no definite arrangement will
be made until after the committee
members have been designated.
His only answer to questions con-
cerning the platform itself was a
negative shake of his head.
In the light of the criticism leveled
at the administration by its critics
alleging that the 1882 Democratic
platform has been treated as a scrap
of paper" the Democratic standard
bearer may be expected to be quite
definite in his views on what the
platform should and should not con-
tain.
Some of the more conservative
delegates to the convention are
frankly fearful that the platform will
have more progressive and radical
tinge than they desire. They are
fearful that the formation of the new
Union party may cause the admins
tration and the campaign leaders to
move sharply toward the left. Yet
so far as can be learned, these con-
servative Democrats are not planning
to make a bitter end fight against
the platform, no matter what form
it takes
Barkley Speech Long.
The keynote speech which Senator
Barkley will deliver at 8 pm. EAST
ern standard time) is lengthy docu-
ment, extolling the New Deal ad-
ministration and the President and
hurting brickbats at the Republicans
and other critics of the New Deal.
Barkley was the keynote speaker at
the Democratic national convention
of 1882.
Unless there should be unexpected
Developments, Al Smith, delegate
from New York, will not attend the
convention. He Is regarded as al
ready having taken walk" since
the publication of the statement
signed by him and four other promi-
nent Democrats urging the delegates