Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1948-07-02
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The Great Game
IN WASHINGTON

PHILADELPHIA sheer noise
and enthusiasm are any criterion, if
size of delegations and visitors is a
yardstick, if bands and speeches
and parades and demonstrations
are measuring rod-then this Oath
quadrennial Republican n ation a l
convention in historic Philadelphia
convention hall tops them all. For
this is the great game of American
politics as it is played and played
for keeps.
Back of all the noise and fun,
however there is serious business,
for there are many who will swear
that the man who emerges as the
nominee of this convention will be
the next President of the United
States.
Monday morning at the opening
session, as Carroll Reece of Ken
lucky, national chairman Of the
Republican party, called the con-
vention to order for its temporary
organization, there was a huge
shout from the galleries and the
delegates on the floor, and as the
chairman presented the keynOter,
Gov. Dwight H. Green of Illinois,
the temporary chairman, another
tumultous outburst greeted this
favorite son of the Sucker state.
Tuesday morning was spent in
organization of the convention, the
seating of the various delegations
on report of the credentials COM
mittee and the report of the plat
form committee. Tuesday evening
the permanent chairman of the con-
vention, Speaker Joe Martin, took
over and made his address.
On Wednesday the roll call of
states for the nomination for the
presidency started.
For more than a week prior to
official converting of the convention
the huge resolutions committee
composed of two delegates from
each state has been busy writing
the platform upon which the nomi-
nees will base their plea before the
American people.
Senator Taft made a preconven-
ton statement declaring that
every plank should be specific SO
that the Democratic convention,
when it comes along next month,
must also be specific, particularly
with relation to civil rights.
Plenty Of Issues
Southern delegates to this con-
vention were just as vociferous
against making these civil rights
planks an issue as their counter
parts in the Democratic convention
likely will be.
There also was battle royal on
the foreign relations and the tariff
plank as between the hackers Of
Senator Taft and Sen. Arthur Van
denberg of Michigan. Senator Van
denberg regards the reciprocal
trade agreements as part of our
foreign relations program and be-
lieves that the entire Marshall plan
or European recovery program is
based upon the elimination of trade
barriers such as the reciprocal
trade agreements.
Senator Taft, while he did not go
so far as to hamstring entirely the
reciprocal trade law, wants it cur
tailed to a one-year extension with
some congressional strings tied to
it.
Prior to the vice presidential
nomination there was consider
able talk throughout the conven-
ton hall about Governor Warren
of California and even Governor
Green of Illinois. Both Senators
Lodge and Salst0nstall Of Massa-
chusetts; Democratic S tor
Byrd of Virginia, who voted more
Republican than Democratic in
the senate; Senator Baldwin Of
Connecticut; Congressman Hal
leck of Indiana and others were
put forth as likely candidates for
the vice-presidency.