Evening star., 1952-07-20
Liberals to Shun
Any Compromise
On Civil Rights
By J. A. O'Ledry
S,or S1off rnvr..nanIs,,

CHICAGO, July 19. - Senator
Kefauver of Tennessee tonight
called on four of his rivals for the
Democratic presidential nomina-
ton to join him in advance pledge
to support the platform, including
the still unwritten civil rights
plank.
His letter went to Vice President
Barkley, Senator Russell of Geor-|
gia. Senator Kerr Of Oklahoma
and Averell Hartman Of New
York.
At the same time the Americans
for Democratic Action served
notice they are prepared to wage
a floor fight If necessary to in
sure "no-compromise" planks onl
civil rights and civil liberties.
ADA described its civil libertiesl
plank as "a pledge to battle that
group Of ugly threats to the free
dom Of men and women, in and
out of Government which bears
the name Of McCarthyism."
The national board of ADA an
nounced that, on civil rights, it
wants a plank as strong as l948.
which indorsed the Truman civil
rights program. plus a promise to
work for a new anti-filibuster
rule in the Senate.
Seek to Avoid SnIit
Meanwhile. the platform draft
ing committee recessed its hear
ings until Monday. Members of
the committee will do their best
to work out a civil rights plank
that will avoid a party split.
The ADA statement indicated.
however. that the platform build
ers have little chance Of avoidingI
a floor debate on the platform.
Senator Kefauver announced
six months ago that, while he
preferred State solution of civil
rights problems, he would sup
port the action Of the convention.
In tonight's letter to the other
candidates he said serious efforts
are now being made to split theI
Democratic Party on the issue Of
civil rights"
He wrote that the matter is "farI
too grave for US to allow it to be-
come a political football, with
possibly dangerous effects on the
|11Nitv nf 0,,1. mn rfvO
One Of the big question marks
hanging over this convention isl
whether party leaders can avert
another break in the Southernl
wing. such as occurred four years
ago.
Contests Seen Menace.
A belief was growing here that
the floor fight over seating con-
tested delegations from Texas and
Mississippi may pose a greater
threat to party unity than the
controversial civil rights plank.
This belief fits in with a theory
held by some observers that the
philosophy Of the nominees f.
nally chosen for President and
Vice President will have more to
do with how the South goes in
this election than the wording of
the platform.
This does not mean that the
civil rights plank has been elimi-
mated as a source of controversy.
But the real meaning of any plat
form is determined by the inter-
probation placed on it by the
presidential candidate. Il
The Texas and Mississippi con-
tests involve 70 votes, which could
play an important part in the
final choice of a nominee.
Florida Reverses.
Asked what he thought would
happen If the convention adopts
"a strong civil rights plank, Flor
ida's Senator Holland said there
has been no talk Of a bolt in the
Florida delegation. He added,
however, that he thinks the voters
in Florida would repudiate that
kind of a platform.
Senator Holland pointed out
that Gov. Dewey carried IL coun-
ties in Florida in 1948, and added,
'he was not as popular in the
South as is Gen. Eisenhower"