Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1940-06-28
Republicans
Are Determined
To Be Embossed

The RepuDl1can heSOIuClOHS SoHi
mittee gave every evidence on Tues
day that it is determined to present
an Embossed platform to an Embossed
Convention.
The first act of the Committee was
to insist upon stronger denuncia-
ton of President Roosevelt's foreign
policy than the drafting group first
proposed.
The new plank which is now be-
ing written will indict the Admins
tration in vigorous terms for pushing
the United States ever nearer war
and it will also contain a statement
stronger than first contemplated, a
gainst any military intervention by
this country.
The initiative for these changes
came from C. Wayland Brooks, dele
gate from Illinois, whose delegation
had already introduced a resolution
that the Republican Party stand for
"Americanism" and peace" and
brand the Democratic Party as favor
ing "internationalism and war;"
ALT M. Landon, Chairman of the
subcommittee on foreign policy and
defense, said that no OPPOSITION had
developed against retaining in the
platform an expression of aid and
comfort to oppressed peoples who
are fighting for their liberties" and
an intention to provide them utmost
assistance within the bonds of normal
trade.
While the progress of the plat
-drafters hit snag, it was Mr..
Landon's view that the dispute is es-
sentially over the phraseology and
not over the substance of the plan
on foreign affairs. He believed that
a re-draft would not be difficult and
that it would win quick approval.
The rank-and-file membership of
the full Committee has successfully
asserted it's dominance over its own
drafting group-made up of senior
party leaders-and so intent is it that
the 1910 platform shall be an open
covenant democratically arrived at
that it is examining the text and de-
tails of every proposed plank before
the Drafting Committee is allowed to
get it's hands on it.
Despite the fact that every plank
has been completed and in each case
submitted unanimously by its subcom-
mittee, criticism is developing on at
least three major phases of the plat
form. These concern foreign policy
labor, and tariffs.
This criticism expresses minority
opinion and it is not expected that
it will go beyond the Resolutions
Committee itself. The significance
of the controversy is that it shows the
independence of the rank and file OF
the Committee which is not prepared
to accept even unanimously Endorsed
recommendations without discussion
and debate.
This mood of "don't-rush-us" and
don't put-anything-o-ver-on-us'
came to light most evidently late
when it was proposed that al 1.-THE
work of the subcommittee be forth
with turned over to the small draft.
ing group headed by former Senator
Wharton Pepper of Pennsylvania and
quickly put into shape for later ap-
proval.
The full Committee would have
none of this. 1t was promptly and
pointedly rejected and when it was
suggested that any other course
would take a lot of extra time, il
was made clear that the Committee
as a whole was more concerned with
spending time in order to know what
they were doing than in saving time
and not knowing what they were do
ing. The result is that the 1910 plat.
form, the principal terms of which
were outlined in some detail in these
dispatches, is being democratized as
never before and is receiving the wild
est possible basis of party authority
at every phase.
The evidence OF controversy over
the foreign affairs, tariff, and labor
planks are not sufficient to suggest
that these planks, already reported
from reliable sources, will be changed
in any important particular.
The compromise on a foreign declare
ton which is strongly anti-interven-
zionist from military standpoint but
which pledges aid to oppressed PEG.
pies" within the provisions of inter
national law won words of commenda.
ton from such diverse spokesman as
isolationist Senator Henry Cabot
Lodge and nonisolationist Walter E
Edge.
The plank pleases the isolationists
because it vigorously criticizes Presi.