Evening star., 1940-06-17
Landon Takes Strong
Stand for American
Aid for Allies
6. O. P. Platform Group
Meets, but Fails to
Name Chuirmon
BY G.. GOULD LINCOLN.
Star Staff Cnrresnnn

member designate of the Resolu-
t1ons Committee of the Republican
National Convention which opens
here next Monday, said today that:
Il favor all proper aid to the AL
lies that does not involve any COM
mitment that will take us into the
war unless vital interests of America
are threatened in a tangible way"
This was Mr.. Landon's reply to a
question as to what the Republican
platform should contain in the way
OF plank on foreign affairs.
Mr.. Landon declared himself for
the strongest kind of national de-
fense and added that this country
should not, as Britain and France
did, fail to take warning from what
happened in Poland, Flanders and
France.
Edge Demands Aid for Allies.
More men must be trained to fight
and more machines must be pro-
vided, he said. I'VE are 25 years
behind the times" in matters of de-
fensive weapons
Former Senator Walter E. Edge
of New Jersey, also member desig-
nate of the Resolutions Committee,
demanded that all possible aid be
given to the Allies. He said:
Il feel strongly the United States
should help the Allies as our best
insurance against war In other
words, am no isolationist. This is
not altruistic. 1t is matter of self
preservation. If France goes down
and England fights on, l think we
should continue to materially help
England for the same reason"
The Resolutions Committee-desig-
nate, called to order by Chairman
John Hamilton of the National
Committee, held preliminary
meeting and then adjourned until
3 pm. without attempting to elect
q chairman.
Before the members reassembled
It was rumored that Herbert K Hide
of Oklahoma would be named
Landon Won't Accept Post.
Mr. London could have the chair
manship if he would take it, but he
said emphatically he would not.
Others mentioned are former Sen
ator George Wharton Pepper Of
Pennsylvania, John Lord OBrian of
New York and Henry P. Fletcher of
Rhode Island, former chairman of
the National Committee. Some of
them have said they did not believe
they should serve as chairman.
Nearly 40 of the SO members
designate of the Resolutions Com
mittee were on hand for the prelimi-
nary meeting MIR. Landon entered
the committee room after the meet
ing had gotten under way and Mr..
Hamilton was addressing the dele
gates.
His statement regarding the pos
sible foreign affairs plank of, the
platform was made in an interview
with the press Immediately follow
ing the committee meeting.
'Who is your candidate?" Mr..
Landon was asked.
kansas will support Senator
Capper," was his reply with 4
twinkle In his eye. 1t is expected
that Mr.. Landon will have a po-
tential voice when it comes to nam
ing the Republican presidential
candidate.
Declines to Elaborate.
The Kansan was pressed to define
"proper aid to the Allies. He de-
clined to go into details.
When it was suggested to him that
his stand was similar to that of
President Roosevelt, Mr.. Landon re-
piled:
IF that is President Roosevelt's
position, we'll and good. It has been
mine for long time"
Mr.. Landon said that the best the
convention can do is to adopt plat
form, brief and constructive but
without going into too great detail.
In the present confusion that
exists in the world" he asked, chow
can any man tell positively today
what our attitude should be and
make 1t fit in July or in November
on foreign affairs, agriculture or
labor?"
The Kansan said that the Allies
had failed to take warning from the
way in which the Nazis ran over
Poland with their mechanical army
and had allowed many valuable
months to go by until the Germans
began their attack on Flanders and
then in France.
Hamilton Speaks.
In opening the meeting of the
Resolutions Committee today, Ma
tional Chairman Hamilton said:
Possibly never before in the his
tory of the Republican party, and
certainly not in many, many years,
have the members of the Resolu-
tions Committee of the Republican
National Convention faced so re-
sponsible and important task as is
true this year.
II hope that the more than two
years of preparatory work done by
the Republican Program Committee
under the Craftsmanship of Dr.
Glenn Frank, and the results of
which are contained in his widely
approved Program for Dynamic
America will be of assistance to
you. In addition to the formal re-
port you will also have made avail
able the four volumes of working
papers upon which the report was
based.
Confidence Voiced in Drafters.
'The platform on which we will
confidently go to the people in No.
vember is a matter of paramount
Importance, just as principles are
undying and always of greater i'm
portance than individuals.
'I am confident that the earnest
ness which characterizes the men,
hers of the Resolutions Committee,
as evidenced by the large representa-
tion here today at your first meeting.
will be fruitful of significant results
and will accomplish the drafting of
q platform that will meet the needs
and exigencies of the American
peopIe at this most critical time"