Evening star., 1952-05-17
ADA Speakers Call
For Positive Action on
Civi|Rights Legislation
By Froncis P. DouqIos

pOSlJlVc dCGlOIl 1OT civil TlSQCS.
The demands for the legisla-
tion came from Senator Mcmahon,
Democrat. of Connecticut; Fran
els Biddle, national chairman of
ADA and former Attorney Gen.
eral. and Senator Humphrey,
Democrat, of Minnesota, keynote
speaker.
Three candidates for the Dem
ocratic nomination for President
addressed the ADA convention:
Senator Mcmahon, Senator Ke-
fauver of Tennessee and w.
Averell Hartman, Mutual Secur-
ity administrator.
Senator Kefauver made no spe-
cif1c reference to civil rights in
his prepared speech. But as he
started his address he said, "I
believe in meeting issues on their
merits. including civil rights"
ADA is an organization of lib
erals, most of them Democrats.
They look on firm support of civil
rights legislation as one of the
major tests of liberalism. The
organizations leaders have de-
manded a stronger civil rights
plank in the 1852 Democratic
platform than there was in the
1948 platform.
Hear Truman Tonight.
President Truman will address,
the organizations convention ban
quet at 1880 o'clock tonight. It i
has been described as a major
political address.
Delegates to the convention /
have been furnished with records |
of the various Democratic can
didates. The Kefauver document |
states: Senator Kefauver has a
poor record on civil rights"
In the course of his talk, for
which he was roundly applauded,
Senator Kefauver said the Ameri-
can people must make the coun-
try better place in which to live
for all people, Negroes and whites,
natlve-born and foreign-born,
city folks and farm folks, of every
race. creed and color"
He said this applies to those
whose ancestors came here on the
MayfloWer as we'll as those whose
ancestors came over on slave
ships.
Will Back Convention Plank.
Senator Kefauver has said he
IS opposed to a Federal Fair EN-
ployment Practices Commission
outlawing job discrimination
against Negroes and other minor
tiles, but that as nominee he
would support the civil rights
plank the Democratic Convention
adopts.
This and the Endorsement of
Senator Kefauver by Senator
Douglas. Democrat, of Illinois, has
satisfied the candidates ADA sup
pOrterS, who are numerous.
Mr.. Hartman, member of
ADA. said his record is clear on
the issues, including civil rights.
He catalogued many problems of
the day and added "these are
things I know about" because of
his Government service in the last
II years.
Of his qualifications for the
presidency. he said, Il believe I am
the man who can forward and ad-
minister the policies you believe in
better than any other man of
either party"
Senator Mcmahon, addressing
the organization, asserted there
can be no compromise on civil
rights.
FavOrs "COdifying Decency."
Either you favor codifying de-
cency or else you oppose codif-
ing decency," he said. Il favor it."
He declared also he would sup
port a party platform plank |
pledging support for a Senate
cloture rule. He said the rule he
favors would give the majority of
Senators present and voting the
right to end a filibuster.
FilibuSter-and the threat of it
have been one of the chief
weapons of Southern Senators
against civil rights legislation.
Mr.. Biddle as national chair
man opened the first general
meeting of the convention today
Mr.. Biddle said there has been
"a full swing to a conservative
outlook and action" Political
policies, he said. are in the hands
of conservative Republicans and
Dixiecrats.
None Of the reforms for which
we have fought so hard have
emerged" he added.
Eisenhower "Not Unbeatable"
Senator Humphrey, who led the
fight for the civil rights plank
in his party's 1948 platform, caus-
Ing the Southern revolt, said
the party does not deserve to en-
dure. if it equivocates on that
issue.
He said Gen. Eisenhower is not
unbeatable.
And whether the COP candi-
date is Gen. Eisenhower, Gen.
Macarthur, General Motors or
General Electric, it's the same old
party" he added.
Delegates meeting last night
with ADA's political policy COM
mission, split on the question of
1ndorSing presidential candidate
The commission. headed by Robert
E. Merriam, Chicago alderman.
LOST.
RICYCIE new r r uioCj0c f-0,,5. q q -.