Evening star., 1948-03-13
Rights
.UntiIConvention
ReportedSought
Southern Governors
Expected to Denounce
Proposals Today

Administration officials today
were reported seeking to stave
OF a showdown on President
Truman's controversial civil
rights program until the Demo-
cratic convention in July, as
Southern Governors, meeting at
the Mayflower Hotel, threatened
to throw new fuel on the fires of
the party revolt.
A party official, disclosing the plan
to pass the civil rights issue on to
the convention, said the Resolutions
Committee would be asked to work
the Presidents proposals into a
compromise plank in the 1948 plat
form.
The proposals, including .poll tax
abolition and Federal anti-lynch-
ing law, were before the Governors
Committee today. and indications
were that they would be roundly
assailed in a report that means
business" according to conferees.
Southerners to Have Voice.
With this situation in mind, Mr..
Trumans supporters are said to
have agreed to leave it strictly up
to the Resolutions Committee to
decide how strong a pledge the
party wants to make toward bring
ing about race equality.
The Southern governors will be
asked this afternoon to pass on q
report prepared by Gov. Thurmon
of North Carolina and others who
recently met with j. Howard Nc
Grath. Democratic National chair
man, to discuss the situation aris-
ing from the civil rights program.
Several of the governors, It was
reported, still are determined to
make the fight against the nomina-
tion of Mr. Truman and against his
election should he be nominated.
Gov. Lane of Maryland will pre-
side at the meeting as chairman
of the Southern Governors Confer
ence. The understanding is that
Maryland will remain orthodox
Democratic" no matter what other
States may do.
In addition to Gov. Lane and Gov.
Thurmon, those at the meeting are
Cows. Jester Of Texas, Laney Of
Arkansas, Wright of Mississippi,
Thompson of Georgia, Caldwell Of
Florida and Folsom of Alabama.
Senator Byrd of Virginia was on
hand to represent Gov. Tuck.
Thompson Pledges Support.
Gov. Thompson issued statement
declaring his support of the Georgia
delegation in Congress in any fight
it may make against Federal legis-
tlation. dealing with the civil rights
program.
The conventions Resolutions
Committee, to which the Truman
supporters would leave the race
equality issue, will be made up Of
delegates from each State and Ter
ritory and the District of Columbia.
Thus rebelling Southerners will
have voice in deciding the issue.
even If they are outnumbered by
Northern and Western Democrats.
Chairman McGrath told four
Southern Governors recently that
ne would be willing to 60 back to the
1914 platform declaration.
That plank said the party be-
lieves minorities have the right to
live, develop and vote equally with
all citizens" and it urged Congress
to exert its full constitutional pow
ers to protect those rights"
The administration, meanwhile,
counted Mrs. Lennard Thomas,
Alabama national committeewom-
an as one Southern convert.
Gets Satisfactory Answer.
She said after a White House
luncheon of the party's Executive
Committee with Mr.. Truman yes
terday that the President had given
her a satisfactory answer to vital
question. That question was
whether she could "go back and tell
my people that you are not going
to tear up our social structure in
the South and that you are every
body's President.
She said the President replied:
II do not take back one word I
said. I stand on the Constitution OF
(See DEMOCRATS, Page A-3D