REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

Evening Star, Issue 22363, 12 June 1936, Page 9

REPUBLICAN CONVENTION

CHOOSING PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE THE NEW DEAL UNDER FIRE Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright CLEVELAND, June 10. Apparently all the important convention 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 to-day% was as critical of the New Deal as Mr Steiwar was. “Instead of competitive tariff,” he said, “ w r e have a bewildering 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 our foreign trade gasping on the gallows, the victim of reciprocal economic lynching, and the world exchange of goods has fallen into utter chaos.” Against President Roosevelt himself Mr Snell constantly hurled a charge of dictatorship. “ The Republicans offer to lead America against the unconstitutional dictatorship, and against the arrogant individualism, of President Roosevelt. He runs the true course of a dictator, and, having seduced the legislative branch by billions of patronage, he now casts a calculating eye upon the judiciary, and by advice to Congress and sneer and jibe seeks to usurp the last bulwark of the citizen against unbridled autocracy.” Finally, summing up the failures of the New Deal. Mr Snell 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 tbak the Platform Committee is considering a plank advocating cancellation of reciprocal treaties and tariff adjustments. MR HOOVER IN FORM CHEERED FOR FIFTEEN MINUTES CLEVELAND, June 11. The appearance of Mr Hoover at the convention hall introduced the first genuine ingredient of excitement to the convention, and after the delegates had cheered him to the echo for 15 minutes he launched a harsh and bitter attack on the’ New Deal, and made a solemn exhortation to Republicans to com© to the rescue of the nation. “ In this room rests the greatest responsibility that has come to a body of Americans in threr generations. To some people the New Deal appears to be a strange interlude in American history, because it has no philosophy and because it is sheer opportunism. For the first time in the history of America we have heard the gospel of class hatred preached from White House. That is a hurfian poisoa far deadlier than fear. Every reader of the history of democracy knows that it is the final rock on which all democracies have been wrecked.” It was evidence of the startling lack of picturesque or vital leaders of the Republican Ppty Ihat the convention rallied so strongly to Mr Hoover. It has not had anyone to cheer so far, and there is little prospect of having anyone, for, although during the day and night the strength of Governor Landon continued to grow by additional State delegations indicating their intention to vote for him, it is a commonly acknowledged fact that Governor Landon is a virtually unknown figure in his own party. He has said little and repeatedly declined to make any declaration of opinion on controversial issues. His personal fortune comes from the petroleum business. As for Senator Borah, he lias not even appeared at the convention so far, being content to remain in his hotel room dickering for support or making threats. As Mr Hoover was completing his speech a heavy thunderstorm outside caused the steel rafters in the hall to crackle ominously and give startling emphasis to his concluding words: “ Republicans and fellow Americans, this is your call to stop the retreat in a chaos of doubt, confusion, and fear. Yours is the task to command. Turning the eyes of your fellow Americans to the sunlight of freedom, lead the attack to retake and retain the citadels of liberty. Thus can America be preserved, and thus you can win the gratitude of posterity and be able to sing to Almighty God.” POLITICAL ENTHUSIASM CLEVELAND, June 11. Mr Hoover was at the convention, and after nearly half an hour’s cheering upon the former President’s leaving the rostrum the delegates, from the floor, began an impromptu chant, “ Wc want Hoover,” which the chairman’s gavel was able to drown out only with difficulty. The Californian delegation raised its banner and began an ecstatic, march round the hall. Finally the chairman made himself heard above the clamour. “ Mr Hoover has left the hall, as he had to catch a train to go to New York,” he said, but the delegates were not so easily satisfied. They continued to make a tremendous noise, and broke into ‘ Onward, Christian Soldiers.’ Mr Fletcher, chairman of the Republican National Committee, bent down from the official stand and said to the pressmen, “ This is enthusiasm.” After another half-hour of enthusiasm the stentorian voice of the chairman announced the adjouniment of the convention for the night. No account of the day’s proceedings would be complete without recording

the arrival of a number of members of the Oxford Group movement. The group had just concluded a long meeting at Stockbridge, Massachusetts, and came to Cleveland “to put the thoughts of the delegates on God.” PLATFORM DRAFTED CLEVELAND, June 10. At an early hour this morning the committee completed the draft of a platform ostensibly satisfactory to all sides. It was then transmitted by trunk line telephone to Governor Landon at Topeka, Kansas, for final approval before submission to the convention, “ as he will undoubtedly be the candidate,” said a member of the committee. __ SPEECH BY PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT NEW YORK, June 10. President Roosevelt took some of the spotlight away from the Republican Convention to-day when, in an address at Little Rock, Arkansas, he reiterated the plea for a broader interpretation of the Constitution, and obliquely attacked the Supreme Court. The occasion was the centennial celebration of the admission of Arkansas to the Union, and in a historic review of how the Mississippi Valley territory was acquired by the United States he pointedly remarked that the Missouri purchase of 1803 was not “ carried to the Supreme Court.” Without suggesting Constitutional amendment, President Roosevelt insisted that it was broad enough to allow “ legislation necessary to safeguard human welfare under modern conditions.” As before ho left Washington the President declared that his southwestern speaking trip would be devoted to non-political subjects, to-day’s remarks came as something of a surprise, and several New York newspapers featured them above the proceedings at Cleveland.