Evening star., 1940-06-16
G. O. p. Takes Leaf From Book
OF Al Smith on Early Platform
Party Not to Wait Until Heat and Rush of Con.
vention, but Starts This Week to
Draft Its Stand
BY Raymond p. Brandt.


Missouri, chairman Of the Platform
Committee. While the committee was
holding formal, public hearings at the
Hollenden Hotel. Langworthy and a
small group wrote the Kansan's plat
form at the exclusive Union Club, a few
blocks away, which was barred to out
siders Others in the group were the
late Ogden Mills William B. Bell, presi-
dent of the American Cyanamid Co.:
former Senator Henry Allen of Kansas:
Ralph Robey, a financial writer, and
Prot. Saxon, who headed the brain
trust" or research division of the ma
tlonal committee headquarters.
The work of these men was drasticallv
rewritten in the full committee by an
effective congressional combination.
headed by former Senators Reed, Binp-
ham and Moses, who used time-tested
nhouster tactics against the Landonites.
Ihls was the reason Landon was forced
to send 'telegram"-by telephone-to
the convention taking exception to the
LABOR, civil service and money planks.
Inc only member of the old senatorial
group on the committee this year is Edge
OF New Jersey, who has not been active
IN politics for many years. The old
senatorial viewpoint however, will be
represented by former Senator George
Wharton Pepper of Pennsylvania, who
may be the committee chairman. and
Henry P. Fletcher of Rhode Island, a
former national chairman. Senators on
the present committee are Henry Cabot
Lodge of Massachusetts, John G. Town
send of Delaware and John Thomas of
Idaho.
Cleveland Repetition Not Likely.
Unless there is an unforeseen develop-
ment the Cleveland episode will not be
repeated at Philadelphia as to the actual
drafting of the platform, although if
Wlllkle is nominated he may want to
dlsavow a probable plank calling for
repeal OF the trade agreements law The
convention will approve the platform
before it selects the presidential and
vlce-presidential nominees.
The Glenn Frank platform, with the
exception of the trade agreements rec
ommendation, is broad enough for al
most any Republican.
Ihe most controversial plank will be
that on the European War and possible
american involvement. The Frank
recommendations written in January,
this year, are flexible enough to meet
the views of all the prospective candi-
dates. They say in part:
Under existing circumstances. there
are compelling reasons why Americans,
regardless of party, should support every
effort, consistent with our national Sc
curity and the safeguarding of our lib
erty and welfare as people. to keep the
United States out of this war"
1t is hardly conceivable that either
national convention would approve a
plank calling for an immediate declara-
tlon of war, and the phrases consistent
with our national security" and the
safeguarding of our liberty and well
fare" are open to various interpretations.
Farm Question Left Open, Too.
DR.. Frank and his co-workers also left
open the controversial question of agri-
cultural relief, although they had the
courage to use the blunt term subsidies"
for various governmental payments to
farmers. The program laid down sew
eral general principles for attaining
farm parity prices, but concluded by
saying that data on various plans would
be submitted for the information of
those who would draft the detailed plat
form.
The report foreshadowed the theme of
both the Republican and Democratic
platforms when it said that "the farm
program, the labor program and the
business program of government are
lnterlocked. The labor and business
policies OF government are as important
to the farmers as its farm policies. The
farmers, the workers and the business
men have common stake in a healthy
and sound expansion of American en-
terprise. Such expansion can be effec-
lively blocked by scramble for special
privileges by one or all three of these
groups"
Candidates and platforms have been
stating this ideal for generations.
The European war and the national
defense program will force a recasting
of the Program Committees recommen-
dations for balancing of Federal reve-
nues during 1912" for a 20 per cent
reduction of expenditures from their
present level and for repeal of the excess
profits taxes. On the whole however,
the domestic recommendations written