Evening star., 1948-07-09

shackles of monopoly and the threat
Of boom and bust"
The platform writers have not
indicated what economic controls
If any, they will recommend. They
will start tomorrow on the actual
drafting of the platform.
The plea for lifting the arms
embargo to aid Israel was pre-
sented. by Judge Louis E. Levinthal
of Philadelphia on behalf of the
American Zionist Emergency Coun-
Gil. Henry Pratt Fairchild, CO.
chairman Of the American Council
for Democratic Greece, asked for
the abandonment of the United
States policy in that country d.
rected toward containing commu-
niSm.
STREET Calls U. N. Weak.
The plea for a federal union of
democratic countries was made by
Clarence K. STREET., author and ed
itor, who declared that the United
Nations is too weak to do the job
expected of it,"
The proposal regarding partition
OF Ireland came from the American
League for an Undivided Ireland.
AS the Resolutions Committee
concluded public hearings, admin
istration forces held out hope of
drafting a civil rights plank that
would avert an open break between
the Northern and Southern wings
of the party.
Southern opposition to President
Truman's comprehensive civil rights
program makes the writing of a
plank on that subject by far the
toughest job confronting the plat
form builders. Members of the
drafting subcommittee insist they
have not yet exchanged views pri-
vately over this controversial issue
From other high sources 1t was
learned. however, that the Presi-
dents supporters still believe it will
be possible to draft statement of
civil rights objectives the opposing
groups in the party would accept,
even though it would not fully sat
isfy either faction
The desire to keep the entire
platform short will help party STRAIT
eglsts to avoid a rupture over civil
rights, or other controversial sub
jects. The less detail, the less room
there will be for disagreement.
May Use Broad Terms.
For example, in q long platform
it would be difficult Tor administra-
tion supporters to avoid making q
fight for detailed spelling out o1
the Truman civil right program
which touched off a Southern re-
volt against the President when he
transmitted it to Congress in Feb
ruary.
If. on the other hand, the Plat
form Committee agrees to stream
line the whole document, the ques-
tion Of civil rights-and all other
major issues-can be dealt with in
broad. general terms, as it was in
1914.
Those who are striving for as
much harmony as possible no doubt
will try to use the terse 1914 civil
rights plank as a starting point on
which to build when the Drafting
Subcommittee goes into executive
session tomorrow. That plank read
I'VE believe that racial and re-
ligious minorities have the right to
live, develop, and vote equally with
all citizens and share the rights that
are guaranteed by our constitution.
Congress should exert its full cons
titutional powers to protect those
rights"
The big question mark here today
is how far the liberals will be able
to 60 in strengthening this plank
without causing at least some of the
Southerners ito take a walk in a
convention which already promises
to be tense with intra- party strife.
Spokesman for Negro organiza-
tions who testified yesterday made 1t
clear they want more specific pledges
than were written into the 1914 plat
form and some members OF the
drafting subcommittee from the
North and West may be counted on
to make fight in executive session
for the unequivocal Truman pro-
gram.
One fact appears certain-that
the Democratic platform will bristle
with criticism of the record of the
Republican controlled Eightieth
Congress. This was apparent yes
terday afternoon as members of the
platform subcommittee took issue
with spokesmen for various small
business groups, as they appealed
for more economy in government
and a more equitable tax structure.
Fnroc