Evening star., 1940-06-27
A Good PIutform

a 0ood Platform
The Republican partys platform
considered in the light Of the con-
f1icting intra-party views which it
seeks to reconcile, is better than
average document of its kind.
To be sure, it has it's political
havoring. In spots this is carried to
indefensible extremes. The present
administration, for example, is ac-
cused of failing America by at
tempting to send Congress home
during the worlds most tragic hour
80 that we might be eased into the
war by word or deed during the
absence of our elected representa-
tives from Washington"
That, on its face, is most reckless
charge to prefer against the Presi-
dent. 1t is not supported by any
evidence and reflects disposition to
sacrifice, for partisan advantage,
that unity of support for the incum-
bent administration which is SO
essential in this time of crisis, or, as
the Republican platform expressed
it, in this zero hour.
Nor are the Republicans on any
sounder ground in that section of
their platform which says: 1.-THE
Republican party stands for Amer
icanism, preparedness and peace. We
accordingly fasten upon the New
Deal full responsibility for our unpre-
paredness and for the consequences
OF involvement in war" Unfortu-
nately for the Republicans, the
record does not permit them to dis
claim a large measure Of that
responsibility.
But there is more to the platform
than mere partisan criticism. In
that section which puts the party
on record as favoring "the extension
to all peoples fighting for liberty, or
whose liberty is threatened, of such
aid as shall not be in violation of
international law or inconsistent
with the requirements of our own
national defense" the Republicans
come close to indorsing in principle
the present policy of furnishing
material assistance to France and
Britain. This platform statement,
to be sure, is predicated upon pro-
found sympathy for invaded nations
rather than upon a frank acknowl-
edgment Of the indisputable fact
that the giving of aid to the victims
OF aggression is a most important
phase OF our own national defense
program. But there is nothing in
the language Of this section which
would prevent a Republican Presi-
dent with vision from bolstering
American security by extending
effective aid to attacked nations in
any quarter of the globe. The
phraseology is elastic, but elasticity
is a virtue in these uncertain and
unpredictable times.
On balance, the planks on foreign
policy and hemisphere defense sug-
gest that the more realistic elements
of the Republican party have over
ridden those whose views are mar
rowly isolationist in character. That
is decidedly to the advantage of the
party and to the best interests of
the country.
Those sections of the platform
which deal with domestic problems
are generally sound and set forth
the party's position with reasonable
clarity and vigor.
In the matter of the tariff and
reciprocal trade, the platform reveals
an awareness that we are threatened
by unfair competition in world
markets and by the invasion of our
home markets, especially by the
products of state controlled foreign
economies" Recognition of this
danger by the Republicans is all to
the good, but it does not appear from
the platform that they have any
program to resist it other than
higher tariffs, "to be determined by
scientific methods" and a promise to
explore every possibility of reopen
ing the channels of international
trade through negotiations. This
does not offer great deal and the
implied Endorsement of the Hull re-
ciprocal trade agreements program,
provided such agreements are SUBJ
ject to congressional ratification,
offers less.
On other domestic issues the plat