Evening star., 1940-04-23
Martin Backs Plan
OF Hamilton for
Early Platform Draft
Party choirmon's Proposal
Follows Similar Move
By Col. Knox
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN,

tee Of the Republican National Con-
vention meet in Philadelphia IAN
appreciable time" in advance of the
convention to work on d draft of
the party platform.
Mr.. Hamilton's announcement fol-
lowed closely on the heels of a SINH
lar proposal from Col. Frank Knox
to Republican House and Senate
leaders here. Col. Knox was under
stood to be speaking not only for
himself, but for former Gov. ALI M.
Landon of Kansas, the Republican
nominee for President in 1896. Col.
Knox was the vice presidential can
didate in that year.
Representative Martin of Massa-
chusetts, Republican leader of the
House, said today he saw no con-
flict between the plans proposed by
Chairman Hamilton and Col. Knox
They seem to be about the same,
as understand what Col Knox
was speaking to me about when he
was here last week." said Mr.. Mar
tin. He insisted that the Landon-
Knox idea had been for members
OF the Resolutions Committee to
get to work on the platform as early
as possible. However, he admitted
that whenever as many as three
Republicans get together nowadays
they will discuss the whole situa-
tion," including candidates for the
presidential and vice presidential
nominations.
Approves Early Consideration.
Mr.. Martin said he approved the
plans for early consideration of a
platform draft by the men and wom-
en- who are to draft it. He said he
supposed that both Mr.. Landon and
Col. Knox would be members of the
Resolutions Committee, representing
their States of Kansas and Illinois.
He himself, he said, would 20 to
the convention several days before
the convention met He has been
selected to serve as permanent
chairman of the convention. He
added, however, that if Congress
remained in session up to June "a,
the date of the opening of the con-
Vention, he might be compelled to
remain here to look after his duties
on the floor
At Republican National Com
mittee headquarters it was said that
Mr.. Hamilton had under considera-
ton for several months a proposal
to have the prospective members of
the Resolutions Committee assemble
early in the convention city, in order
to expedite work on the national
platform.
Letter in Part.
Mr.. Hamilton sent letter to each
member of the national committee
and to each Republican State chair
man in which he set forth his views
on this subject. The letter, which
bore the date of April 20, follows
in part:
I'm years past it has been the
rule OF the Republican National
Convention to establish a Resolu-
tions Committee whose primary task
was that of drafting the party plat
form. I need not tell you from your
experience at such conventions that
with only two or three days in which
to consider this very serious and
important matter, such committee
has not been able to work at high
degree of efficiency nor with the
deliberation which its duties require.
This year we approach the adop-
ton OF the party platform under
circumstances materially different
than in former years. There is al
ready at hand the report of the
Republican Program Committee
which has been widely distributed
among party leaders and will be sent
to the delegates and alternates as
they are selected. At the time the
Republican Program Committee
made its report to the Republican
National Committee there was also
filed several volumes of supporting
data and the national committee
directed that the report when sub
nlitted to the Resolutions Committee
should be accompanied by this sup
porting data for the consideration
Of that committee.
Selected In States.
"Obviously neither the report nor
the supporting data which accom-
panies it can receive the considera-
tion to which they are entitled if
the members of the Resolutions
Committee have but two or three
days for that purpose. Since each
State delegation selects its own
members of the Resolutions Com
mittee I believe that, without in
fringing upon the prerogatives of
the convention we can obviate some
Of the difficulties encountered in
the past.
1T is thought that the State del
egations might hold preliminary
caucuses as soon as feasible after
the delegates have been elected and
select their representatives on the
Committee on Resolutions. If this
could be done it would then be pos
sible for most. if not all, of those
who would constitute the Resolutions
Committee to assemble at Philadel-
phia an appreciable time before the
national convention and undertake
to consider and discuss together all
suggestions for the platform as well
As the report of the Program Com
mittee for the purpose of submit
ting a preliminary outline for the
platform to the full Committee on
Resolutions at the time it is con-
stituted by the convention"
Mr.. Hamilton has been impor-
tuned by great many Republicans
to take steps to set up special
committee to work on a draft of
platform to be submitted to the ma
ttonal convention-especially since
the report of the Glenn Frank Com
mittee on Program was made public.
The chairman's idea has been, how
ever, that the only proper way such
work could be undertaken is through
the prospective members of the
Resolutions Committee, who in the
end will have this work formally
assigned to them. Every State would
then be represented and presum-
ably all factions of the Republican