Evening star., 1939-03-23
Woman's Advances
In Political Life Are
Cited al Sessions
BienniuI Conference
Of Democratic Group
To End Tonight

Following q tea at the White
House this afternoon for delegates
attending the biennial conference
of the Womans National Demo
cratic Club and affiliated clubs, ses-
sions will be concluded at banquet
at 7:30 o'clock tonight at the May
flower Hotel in honor of prominent
Democratic women offlceholders.
In the absence of Mrs. Roosevelt
the cabinet ladies are to be hostesses
at the tea. Secretary of Labor
Frances Perkins will be the ranking
honor guest tonight, the other
speakers and guests including Sen
ator Hattie Caraway, Mrs. Blair
Banister. Mrs, Lucille Foster Nc
Millin, Mrs. Jewell w. Swofford,
Mrs. Ellen S. Woodward, Mrs. Flor
ence S. Kerr, Representative Mary
T. Norton and Representative Caro-
line O'Day.
Mrs. Thomas F. McAllister, chair
man Of the Women's Division of the
Democratic National Committee, as
sisted by Mrs. May Thompson
Evans, led the discussion this morn
ing at club headquarters, 1926 New
Hampshire avenue NV, on the
place Of women's clubs in the party
setup.
Cites Gains of Women.
The belief that as fast as women
prove themselves efficient in the
Democratic party organization and
ask for equal responsibility, it will
be granted to them, was expressed
by Mrs. McAllister in her address.
Citing the political gains OF women
since the national Democratic con-
,vention in 1924, she predicted the
next step will be the election Of
women as full-fledged members of
the committee.
Mrs. McAllister also charged "or-
ganized attacks upon every liberal
proposal in government by enormous
machines of privately subsidized
propaganda" in the last few years
and called on the women to combat
such propaganda "lest it be mis-
taken by our representatives in gov
ernment for the sentiment of the
majority"
Declaring the program of the
Democratic party, the Roosevelt pro-
gram, must 60 on" she predicted it
Will continue If independent and
progressive minded citizens under
stand how the Democratic party is
serving the general welfare and pro-
noting the good Of the whole coun-
try"
AsSails Selfish Forces.
Assistant Secretary of State Fran
els B. Sayre, who addressed the con-
ference at a mass meeting at the
Shoreham Hotel last night, warned
against autocratic and selfish forces
mot confined to the dictator coun-
tries" which he said are attempting
to cripple the administration trade
agreements program.
Charging advocates of sectional
interests above national welfare
with "hamstringing" the process of
negotiation of pacts by requirements
making for increased delay or un-
certainty, he asserted the only
practical alternative to trade agree
ments is the method of the Smoot-
Hawley tariff. And that means
heightened trade barriers not only
IN the United States but throughout
the world he said, Increased eco
nomic tensions and financial strains.
conflict reaching an acute and
highly dangerous stage"
In his address, which was broad
cast over Nationwide hookup,
Mr.. Sayre said events of the last
week have made burning clear"
the issue mot only between au-
tocracy and democracy, but between
a way of life based upon faith in
the pledged word, the sanctity of
law. the restraint of moral princi-
Piles and a way of life based upon
ruthless force and unrestrained
brutality"
Economic Nationalism.
Democracy may have to be de-
Tended from without, he continued,
but "a war to defend democracy,
even victorious, may end by crush
ing it."
Citing the effects of economic self
sufficiency on the standard of living
of a nation, he declared: 'Eventu-
ally it involves government dictator
ship over the flow of capital, over
prices and over labor. It is no acci-
dent" he added, that the three die
tator nations on the earth which
oppose democracy are pursuing
policies of more and more extreme
economic nationalism."
United States exports have ap-
proximately doubled since enact