Evening star., 1940-07-14
Democratic Platform
Plan Is Called Empty
Hope for |soIationists
Draft of Presidents
Friends Would Allow All
Practical Aid to British
BY WILLIAM ALLEN WHIT

CHICAGO, July 13.-If President
Roosevelt is to be taken by force
in the Democratic convention and
nominated for a third term, he is
like the Sabine women, waiting in
Washington with rather eager i'm
patience for the outrage to begin
and not without adequate prepara-
ton.
Mr.. Roosevelt declares he will not
come to Chicago, but the great ques-
tion still shimmers in the political
air. Mr.. Roosevelt has a great talent
for shoWmanShip. To decline a
nomination would gice him crown
ing distinction in American history.
He would stand out as the only Pres
ident in all history who could defy
real show. And to take a third
term nomination amid an avalanche
of acclaim would also be q bold and
distinguished thing.
But in the meantime, while these
speculations are pending in Chicago,
the Platform Committee Is holding
hearings and Senator Wagner of
New York has arrived. He has in
his pocket the Presidents platform.
The plank of interest is the one on
foreign relations.
Aid to Allies Endorsement.
During the week a fine line of
horse trading has been going on in
Democratic circles around Washing
ton. AS the plank stood late this
afternoon in Chicago this was the
status of the horse trading: Sena-
tors Clark and Burke, rampant isola-
tionists, are on the Resolutions Com
mittee to fight the Roosevelt plat
form, and are loaded for bear. The
isolationiStS have tentatively agreed
to allow the Presidents friends to
write into the platform an indorse-
ment of his aid to the Allies.
In return the isolationists are
given lollypop. 1t is this: A
plank which promises not to lead
our soldiers into European war"
The Presidents friends feel that
they have put over fast one on the
isolationists, for we have no SOL
diers to lead into European war.
Great Britain has repeatedly indi-
Gated to Washington that she wants
no soldiers, could not use them.
could not feed them, could not
equip them. What she wants is
planes, and she is buying them, and
her orders are completely filled
every month-for more than 500 a
month.
Britain's other need is ships. She
cannot buy ships from us. But so
far nothing has been put into the
Democratic platform which will pre-
vent Congress from changing fewer
than so words in the law and pro-
vide for the sale of certain old ard
now obsolescent ships begun during
the war in 1918, % years ago. They
would be of no great value to the
United States, but in this emergency
they might save Britain.
Promise Meaning Nothing.
So the whole wrangle and dis
turbance in the Platform Commit
tee, where hearings are crowded
here Saturday, arise over the fact
that the Presidents friends are try
ing to write a platform that will
justify his foreign policy and in 1t
put a promise which means nothing
not to send "our soldiers to a Eu-
ropean war" On that promise the
isolationists may cry exultantly as
they did in 1916, "ae tWilson) kept
us out of war"
The other planks in the Demo-
cratic platform are being written,
uncontested. They indorse in toto
the New Deal, make no apologies,
promise to stay by it and to go for
ward. The party is fairly well COM
mitted to the New Deal policies,
and in the controversy over foreign
policies the President seems at this
early stage of platform-building to
be having his way.
On one thing right now he is
determined. Whether he takes the
third term nomination or leaves it,
his platform will be adopted before
he announces his choice. And the
ramps leading from the alley to the
convention platform are merely
warning to the Democratic conven-
tion not to stray from the straight
and narrow path of the New Deal
and its foreign policy.
Vice Presidency Really Discussed.
In addition to the interest in the
platform the chief secondary in
terest is in the vice presidential can
didate. Never before in the history
of American conventions has the
choice of a vice presidential candi-
date been discussed seriously before
q convention met.
Here are two schools of thought:
One is that the President will pick
Secretary Hull for Vice President
and resign at the end of the Eu-
ropean war. The other is that he
will pick young man and resign
after the election.
Gov. Stark of Missouri is we'll
groomed dark horse. Associate JUS
tice Douglas is attracting the smart
money, but Gov. Stark has many
qualities which are denied Justice
Douglas. The latter is handicapped
at the start by being on the Su-
preme Court. He is slowed down
by almost as much of Wall Street
record as Wendell Willkie, though
the Douglas record closed with New
Deal activities.
Stark a Shining knight.
But Gov. Stark is without flaw,
spot or blenish. He is graduate
Of Annapolis. He is World War
soldier. He is an experienced execu-
tive as head of one of Americas
largest nurseries. He, as Governor,
has been a reform Governor who