Evening star., 1944-07-20
Racial i Plank Reported
To Stress Minorities'
Right 10 Equal Vote
Continued From First Page. }

light Of the foreign plank beint
considered by the Democratic Plat.
form Committee as 1t met thil
morning to give ANAL approval tt
the party platform.
A subcommittee Of IL members ol
the platform group completed tht
draft at 3 An. today and one mem.
Der, Senator Pepper of Florida, sale
it is the shortest platform ths
Democratic party ever had" HI
said the document was stretched" 8
little beyond post card size"
Subject to possible last-minute
changes, the foreign policy declara.
ton is reliably reported to take
direct issue with the use by the Re.
publicans Of the phrase peace
forces" in referring to the prevention
of military aggression. The planh
is believed to contain a statement
that the employment of peace
forces alone" Is not suficient to curl
aggressor nations.
May Back World Court.
AS further indication that the
Democrats are striving to outdo tht
Republicans in their promise Of
world cooperation, the plank may
60 on record for the maintenance Of
an international court to settle dis.
putes where conciliation or arbitra.
ton Is possible
As the noon hour approached thu
platform was still tied up in com.
mittee by conflict over the racia
plank. Reliable sources said thu
Southerners were not satisfied with
the language drafted by the sub.
committee
The Southerners were said to bt
holding out for a declaration thai
the Federal Government has M
power without amending the Con.
stitution to regulate State voting OF
school segregation laws. Some
Southern delegates. although pledged
to. President Roosevelt, were reported
to be considering voting for Senator
Byrd on the first ballot if the plat
form is not satisfactory.
With the colored vote a major
factor in. determining how large
Northern and Midwestern States
may go in November, the most diff
cult decision confronting the Demo-
cratic platform builders has been
to weigh the Importance of these
populous States against the threat
ened revolt In some parts of the
solid Democratic South over changes
III their voting laws.
The Republicans made this deci-
sion even harder for the Democrats
by writing into their platform three
weeks ago Endorsement of a consti-
tutional amendment to repeal pol
taxes, An antilynching law. per-
manent Fair Employment Practices
Committee and congressional in
quiry into any discrimination
against Negroes in the armed forces
Advantage Offset.
Thus while the Democrats appeal
likely to outdo the Republicans ir
their foreign policy program, thi.
campaign advantage may be offset
by the dilemma they face in trying
to meet the conflicting viewpoints
within the party on racial prob
lens.
While the foreign policy plank in
its present form does not speak OF
IAN international police force" il
is said to favor keeping adequate
forces available for joint action
when necessary Isolationist groups
have stressed their opposition to an
international police force or to join
ing world state
The portion of the Republican
foreign policy plank that caused
most discussion at their convention
read:
Such organization (among SOW
ereign nations) should develop
effective cooperative means to di.
rect peace forces to prevent or tc
repel military aggression. Pending
this, We pledge continuing collabor.
alton with the United Nations tc
assure these ultimate objectives."
According to reliable reports, the
Democrats will promise to joir
other United Nations at the earlies
practicable date in setting up 6
general international organiza tior
based on the principle of the SOY.
ereign equality of all' participants
and open to membership by large
and small countries. to maintain
peace and security.
There were reports here that ar
outline of the platform had beer
prepared by administration policy.
makers close to the White House
and sent sto the committee at the
last minute.
Darden and Moody Added.
The small drafting group. headed
by House Majority Leader McCor.
mack. threw cloak of secrecy
around its work last night, inform.
ing newsmen that nothing would bt
given out until after the full com.
mittee acts today.
Chosen to serve with Mr.. McCor.
mack on the drafting group, in ad.
dition to Senator Pepper, were Rep.
resentative Mary T. Norton of New
jersey. Senators Tunnel of Della
ware. Green of Rhode Island, Hatch
of New Mexico, OMahoney O.
wyoming, McCarran of Nevada ane
Truman of Missouri. Representa-
tive Izac of California, and Mrs. N
T. Stewart of Kansas.
Earlier the original platform sub.
committee of %, which had been ap.
pointed to do preliminary work be.
fore the convention met, was en-.
larged by the addition of these five
members: Senator McCarran, DAME
j. Tobin of Indiana, labor leader
former Gov. Dan Moody of Texas
Gov. Colgate w. Darden, jr.. of Vir.
ginia and Mrs. Elizabeth Pellet O,
Colorado
Some observers regarded the Sc.