Evening star., 1944-06-28
BY j. A. O'LEARY.
Star Staff Correspondent.

CHICAGO, June 28.-Adoption
by the Republican National Con-
vention without a floor fight of
the foreign policy plank in favor
OF cooperation with other ma
tions to maintain peace was con-
strued today as giving the COP
a chance to center it's fire on
domestic issues in the coming
campaign.
AS Senator Taft. who presided
over the platform drafting, read it
to the convention, the delegates
cheered the plank urging con-
stitutional amendment to prevent
any President from serving more
than two terms of four years each.
All through the domestic planks
ran the doctrine of States rights
as against Federal control In the
administration of many laws-a
question on which the Democrats
have divided sharply in recent
months. While condemning bu-
reaucracy and the concentration
OF power in Washington, the Re-
publican platform builders indorsed
a broader social security program
and accepted the purposes of the
National Labor Relations Act and
the Wape-hour laU r"'
Although no last-minute changes
were made In the foreign policy
plank to meet the criticism of Wen
dell Willkie and some of the Re-
publican Governors who wanted
stronger wording of the interna-
tional cooperation pledge, the plat
form was adopted unanimously and
without debate by the convention.
F When this happened late yester-
day the convention had weathered
the only semblance of threat to
the harmony that has made the
gathering almost completely devoid
of the excitement usually attending
national conventions.
The Governors who had suggested
clearer language apparently were
satisfied with the plank as finally
presented. for not voice was raised
in opposition in the convention.
Some, like Gov. Walter E. Edge of
New Jersey, felt that Gov. Thomas
E. Dewey would construe its mean
ing to their satisfaction.
EXPLAINS peace ForceS"
Senator Taft told reporters that
the phrase peace forces" to be
used by cooperative organization
in preventing future wars, is IAN
al-inclusive" term. He said 1t is
broad enough to cover military
forces, or economic sanctions. He
argued it would not authorize crea-
ton of an international police force,
but only such forces as this coun-
try could direct. The Ohio Senator
said the idea that peace forces"
means only pacifist methods, is
foolish" construction.
Only two efforts were made In
the Platform Committee to change
the foreign policy plank before it
went to the convention, and both
failed. Gov. Sumner Sewall of Maine
tired to strike out the declaration
against Joining a world state, and a
delegate from Nevada moved to
eliminate the paragraph favoring
responsible participation by the
United States in postwar cooper
tive organization.
Senator Taft pointed out yester-
day that, while no changes we're
made in foreign policy, the Gov
ernors who went before the COM
mittee Monday night got every-
thing they wanted" on domestic
issues.
Three tions.
He said they asked for and re-
ceiVed these three recommended
tions:
To keep unemployment compen-
sation under State laws
To return the public employment
offices to the States, and urging
some separation of the sources of
taxation as between the Federal
and State governments.
The social security plank favored
extension of the existing old-age
insurance and unemployment in
surance systems to all employees
not already covered" Use of the
word existing" would retain unem-
ployment compensation standards
under State law, whereas some New
Deal supporters in Congress advo-
cate Nation wide Federal standards!
The Republicans also wrote into
their platform several planks that
carry strong appeal to the colored
vote. These planks may become
an important factor in the cam
paign, in view of the advance indi-
cations that the Democrats may |
have some difficulty in dealing with
those questions at their convention
next month. Several of the South |
ern States have laid the uro,,pd