FIGHT FOR PRESIDENCY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 11 June 1936, Page 7

FIGHT FOR PRESIDENCY

REPUBLICAN CONVENTION COLOURFUL CROWD AT. CLEVELAND (United Press Association— By Electric Telegraph—Copyright) CLEVELAND, 9th June. Apparently convinced of the ineffectiveness of their efforts to defeat Mr A. Landon, other leading aspirants-for the Presidency, chiefly Senators Knox and Borah, are now concentrating their strength in an effort to influence the platform, principally on five 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 foreign affairs, and a condemnation of trade agreements which reduce .tariff rates is also likely to be' accepted. Some form of general bounty for agriculture is expected. The money, plank, however, is producing the greatest difficulty. The conservative banking interests in the East will be given little say in framing this plank, it having been decided to-day not to allow Mr Ogden Mills, President Hoover’s Secretary of the Treasury, to place resolutions before the Committee which will draft it.' Senator Borah has announced that he will take the 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 “a blank power of attorney.” He (wants a platform without a single ambiguity, as anything else will lead to dictatorship. , .- , n : v The “old guard” of the Republican Party are fighting 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 be-frustrated. The Republican convention, at its opening sessions to-day, simply organised itself. The convention- chose-. Senator Frank tepaporary chairman, and made ready within the next sixty hours to ratify the decisions of the leaders and managers in the choice of candidates and the party platform. Over 15,000 persons crowded into the vast auditorium, which was ablaze with lights and noisy with the blare of half a dozen bands. The usual mixture of gravity and high spirits was displayed by delegates, and there were the ever-present features of the sublime and the ridiculous. The 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 of the consequences of allowing the 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 voice which was so** low,, that the floor of the hall trembled and, ’ caused the audience to laugh. ,» The crowd was colourful, most of,; the State delegations wearing this or?j that article of raiment for which’'their > State is known.