DISAGREES WITH PLATFORM

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21808, 13 June 1936, Page 15

DISAGREES WITH PLATFORM

Telegram From Mr Landon NOISE AND EXCITEMENT DURING VOTING UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION COPYRIGHT.) (Received June 12, 10.50 p.m.) CLEVELAND, June 11. After a few moments for approval of the Republican platform, states from Alabama to Illinois deferred to Kansas,-and Mr A. M. Landon’s campaign manager, Mr John Hamilton, rose and read a telegram from Mr Landon which caused a mild sensation. It stated that he disagreed with two planks of the platform. First, if necessary, he will approve a constitutional amendment protecting women and children in industry in respect of wages and hours. Second, he interprets sound currency to mean currency in terms of gold and convertible into gold, but the latter is not to be sought until it can be achieved without injury to domestic economy and foreign trade. Mr Hamilton then put up the name of Mr Landon for nomination and the delegates began their expected demonstration, headed by the Kansas banners. Virtually all the state delegations, aided by every conceivable noise-making device, paraded on the Convention floor. It was in the best manner of American conventions, noisy and very artificial. Mr Landon’s daughter and father were occupying a box in one corner of the hall. Two enterprising wireless men, walking seemingly over the heads of spectators, hauled a microphone towards Miss Peggy Landon. She laughed, but apart from sending a “Hello” to her father, listening in at Topeka, she would say nothing.

No Other Candidate No other state would offer a candidate. There were only seconding speeches by Senator A. H. Vqhdenberg and other aspirants’ representatives, who announced their withdrawal, and the path was quite clear for Mr Landon The hall was in tremendous excitement as the state by state voting started. One by one the chairmen of the various delegations rose and cast their full voting strength for Mr Landon. It was an unbroken parade until the West Virginian chairman, Mr Bachman (Senator Borah’s manager), cast 16 votes for Mr Landon and one (his own) for Senator Borah. . , , . Sixteen of the Wisconsin delegates voted for Senator Borah, and six for Mr Landon. At the end of the poll call, however, the Wisconsin delegation put forward a motion that the nomination be made unanimous, and this was carried with a thunderous burst of applause. Following Mr Hamilton’s nomination sneech there was a rush by previous opposition candidates to express their approval of Mr Landon. In addition to half a dozen scheduled addresses, every candidate, with the exception of Senator Borah, who had departed for Washineton, spoke in seconding the nomination of the Governor of Kansas. These included Colonel Knox and Senator Vandenberg, whose strong pledge to Mr Landon is taken by many as an indication that he would accept the vice-presidential nomination, voting for which is postponed until tomorrow.

Senator Borah Surprised “In this Convention I belong to but one block, and it has but one slogan, ‘Roosevelt’,” said Senator Vandenberg. Even after he left Cleve'and Senator Borah added something of a discordant note to an otherwise apparently harmonious Republican situation. According to reports from Akron he was stunned at Mr London's interpretation of the currency plank as meaning the return of gold convertibility when possible, and at his insistence on support of a. constitutional amendment to allow states to protect labouring women and children if other means fail to gain the desired objective.

Reflection of New Deal On social and economic questions the Republican platform is m many respects a mirror of the New Deal, except that it advocates the delegation of powers and responsibilities to states instead of to the Federal Government. . , It advocates the distribution of relief through local agencies, with Federal grants in aid, but the states are to share the cost of such relief. It also advocates only meritorious public works, condemns President Roosevelt’s social security law, and advocates instead necessary P^yments to citizens over 65 to protect tfcem from want. Funds for this would be obtained direct from widespread Federal taxation. The platform further advocates unemployment insurance by the states. A Labour plank acknowledges Labour’s right to collective bargaining “by representatives of their own choosing,” which is the language of section 7A of the National Industrial Recovery Act. It further approves the adoption of state laws and inter-state compacts to abolish sweatshops and child labour, and to protect women and children with maximum hours and minimum wages. “This can be done within the constitution as it now stands, ’ it is stated. , , An agricultural plank opposes crop control and advocates a “national land use programme,” family type farms, some system of export bounties for surplus agricultural products, and the protection of American farmers against the importation of livestock and dairy and agricultural products. The controversial monopoly plank was a victory for Senator Borah. He dictated its wording. Private monopoly is condemned, and the enforcement of the criminal as well as the civil laws against monopolies and trusts is promised for Friday. Finally, regulation of business is advocated, by new independent tribunals ,under specific laws. International Issues Twice the Convention assembled and twice went into recess because the platform committee was unable