NOT AN EASY TASK

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 137, 11 June 1936, Page 10

NOT AN EASY TASK

FRAMING A PLATFORM REPUBLICAN CONVENTION ATTACKS ON NEW DEAL United Press Association—Electric Telegraph—Copyright. (Received June 11, 2.30 p.m.) CLEVELAND (Ohio), June 10. At the Republican Convention Hall today apparently all the important orators are concentrating their attack on President Roosevelt's foreign trade policy. Mr. Bertrand Snell, Republican leader in the House of Representatives and permanent chairman of the Convention, in his opening address today, was as critical of the New Deal as was Mr. Steiwer. "Instead of a competitive tariff we have a bewildering jargon, a series of reciprocal tariff treaties, recklessly throwing open the , great American market to the products of low-cost farms and factories in every foreign land. Instead of restored international trade and stable exchange we see foreign trade gasping on the gallows, a victim of reciprocal economic lynching, and the world exchange of goods has fallen in utter chaos." Against President Roosevelt himself Mr. Snell constantly hurled a charge of dictatorship. "Republicans offer to lead America against the unconstitutional dictatorship, yes, the arrogant individualism, of President Roosevelt," he declared. "He runs true to the course of a dictator. Having seduced the legislative branch by billions in patronage, he now casts a calculating eye upon the Judiciary and by advice to Congress and a sneer and a jibe seeks to usurp the last bulwark of the citizen against unbridled /autocracy." "RECKLESS SQUANDERING." Finally, summing up the failures of the New Deal, he said:—"Three years of reckless' squandering and political boondoggling have not provided jobs for 11,000,000 unemployed, and there are over 20,000,000 on relief." How important the foreign trade issue is becoming is indicated by the fact that the platform committee is considering a plank advocating cancellation of reciprocal treaties and tariff adjustments. That the platform is particularly difficult and contentious and that the monetary issue continues to produce much dissension are seen in the fact that there is little likelihood of the presentation of a finished document to the Republican Convention tonight, as was hoped. Mr. Landon's desire to placate all varieties of sentiment has produced a situation of too many cooks. Stabilisation by international agreement, the rejection of bimetallism, return to a fixed gold coqtent for the dollar as soon as it can be safely achieved, and other perplexing aspects of the monetary problem make agreement difficult. It is on this front that the allegedly conservative eastern interests are staging a last stand. It is believed that Mr. Landon favours them, thus hoping to secure their wholehearted support with campaign funds, etcetera. MR. HOOVER ARRIVES. Mr. Hoover arrived today and will address the convention at tonight's session. His speech is being kept a closely-guarded secret and is expected to be but another attack on the New Deal and President Roosevelt. Its chief importance, however, will probably lie in the fact that the ex-Presi-dent's friends may seize the occasion to start to boom his nomination for the Presidency. While anything can happen at an American. political convention, this is not considered likely.