Picking the Republican Nominee

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 136, 11 June 1936, Page 7

Picking the Republican Nominee

"Old Guard” Mas No Say

FIVE CHIEF POINTS IN PLATFORM United Press Association—By Electrlo Telegraph.—Copyr'glit. CLEVELAND, Juno 9. Apparently convinced of the ineffectiveness of their efforts to defeat Governor A. London, other leading Republican aspirants for the Presidency, chiefly Senators Knox and Borah, are now concentrating their strength in an effort to influeuco tho platform, principally on live tops—monopoly in industry, money, foreign affairs, agriculture, and foreign trade. It seems unquestioned that a plank strongly condemning monopoly will agree on extreme neutrality in forcigu affairs, and a condemnation of trade agreements which reduce tariff rates is also likely to be accepted. Homo form of general bounty for agriculture is expected. The money plank, however, is producing the greatest difficulty. Tho conservative banking interests in the East will bo given little say in framing this plank, it having been decided to-day not to allow Mr Ogden Mills, President Hoover’s Secretary of tho Treasury, to placo resolutions before the comiuitteo which will draft it. Senator Borah has announced that, he will take tho floor at the convention with his own drafts of the planks if those which are being drawn up fail to satisfy him. Senator Knox made a statement this afternoon that he does not want 4 ‘a blank power of attorney.” He wants a platform without a single ambiguity, as anything else will load to dictatorship. The ‘ 'old guard” of the Republican Party aro lighting desperately to have some voice in their party’s affairs this year, but so far as it concerns both the candidate and the platform, this seems likely to bo frustrated. The Republican convention, at its opening sessions to-day, simply organised - itself. The convention chose Senator Prank Stciwcr as temporary chairman and made ready within the next, GO hours to ratify the decisions of the leaders and managers in the choice ot' candidates and the party platform. ‘•Sublime and Ridiculous” Over 15,000 persons crowded into the vast auditorium, which was ablaze with lights and noisy with tho blare of half a dozen bands. The usual mixture of gravity and high spirits was displayed by delegates, and there were tho ever-present features of the sublime and tho ridiculous. Tho gathering opened with an invocation by a Washington clergyman, in which God was asked to "protect us from greed and social irresponsibility.” The clergyman warned listeners solemnly ol tho consocjheuees of allowing tho poor and young to be ground down by depression, but he was immediately followed by a quartet which sang medleys, the principal ingredient of which was a bass voico which was so low that the floor of the hall trembled and caused tho audience to laugh. Tho crowd was colourful, most of the State delegations wearing this or that article of raiment for which their State is known.