AMERICA’S NEXT PRESIDENT

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLI, Issue 20441, 11 June 1936, Page 9

AMERICA’S NEXT PRESIDENT

.WHO WILL OPPOSE MR ROOSEVELT? REPUBLICAN RANKS IN CONVENTION STRENGTH OF GOVERNOR LANDON United Press Association—By Electrio Telegraph—Copyright (Received June 10, 5.5 p.m.) CLEVELAND (Ohio), June 10. The Cleveland Convention, which opened its sessions to-day, simply organsied itself. The Convention selected Mr Steiwer as temporary chairman, and made readiness within the next 60 hours to ratify the decisions of the leaders, and managers in the choice of candidates and the party platform, Crowded Auditorium Over 15,000 persons were crowded into the vast auditorium, which was ablaze With lights, and noisy with the blare of a half-dozen bands. The usual mixture of gravity and high spirits was displayed by the delegates. There were ever presest features of the sublime and the ridiculous. Invocation of the Church The gathering opened with an invocation by a Washington clergyman, in which he asked God “to protect us from greed and social irresponsibility,” and warned his listeners solemnly of the consequences of allowing the poor and the young to be ground down by depression. He was immediately followed by a quartette 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 as colourful as most of the State delegations were wearing this and that article of raiment by which each State is krown. Women’s Part in the Party. The women made up a great portion of the occupants of the auditorium, but their presence in such large numbers only emphasised the diminishing importance of the role of women in party affairs at this Convention. They have been absorbed increasingly into the administrative machinery of the party, but apparently have less voice in the determination of its policy. The inconspicuous part played by women in framing the platform is indicative of this, as is the fact that the movement to get the Republican Party to approve of a constitutional amendment to permit the regulation of wages and hours of women and minors in industry is being led by men. The Convention after a brief session, adjourned and will meet again to-night to listen to Mr Stelwer's keynote address.

PLAN TO DEFEAT LANDON RIVALS ATTEMPTING TO DRAFT PROGRAMME United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received June 10, 6.30 p.m.) CLEVELAND, June 10. Apparently convin-ed of the ineffectiveness of their efforts to defeat Governor Landon, the other leading aspirants, chiefly Mr Knox and Senator Borah, are now concentrating the strength of their effort and influence on the platform, principally the five “tops,” as follow: Monopoly in industry, money, foreign affairs, agriculture and foreign trade. It seems unquestioned that the plank strongly condemning monopoly will be agreed on and extreme neutrality in foreign affairs and condemnation of t.ade agreements, which would reduce the tariff rates, are also likely t- be accepted. Some form of general bounty for agriculture is expected. Money Plank Under Fire The money plank however, is producing the greatest difficulty. Conservative banking Interests in the East will have little say in framing this policy it having been decided to-day not to allow Mr Ogden Mills (Mr Henry Hoover's Secretary to the Treasury) to peruse the resolutions of the drafting committee. Senator Borah’s Activity Senator Borah announced that he will take the floor of the Convention with his own drafts of the planks, if those being drawn fail to satisfy him. He made a statement this afternoon that he does not want the "blank power Of attorney." He wants a platform, without a single ambiguity. Anything else leads to the dictatorship of “the old guard.” The Republican Party is fighting desperately to have some voice in the party's affairs this year, but the concerns of both candidate and platform seem likely to be frustrated. ATTACK ON NEW DEAL HOSTILITY OF REPUBLICAN REVEALED United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received June 11, 12.15 a.m.) CLEVELAND, June 10. The severest condemnation of any feature of the New Deal was the attack launched to-night by Mr Steiwar against President Roosevelt’s foreign trade treaty programme. The address was bitter in the extreme, but nowhere was it bitterer than its disapproval of the "trade bargaining rampant.” Under this head “one of the fundamentals of the established national policy, is tariff protection of efficient American production," said Mr Steiwar. "America does not propose to destroy the opportunity of our citizens by surrendering this protection. The Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act has increased the sale in our markets of goods promoted by aliens, which our producers could have supplied. Agreements have been negotiated right and left, with shrewd foreign traders, who

reduced the rates on articles which they desire to import into their countries, whereas the Administration’s pretended good-neighbour policy has resulted in an American reduction of duty on agricultural dairy and forest products, of which we already had a surplus. The net result is the downward revision of the tariff, which has seriously impaired our American system of protection. At America’s Expense “We must realise,” added the speaker, “that the Administration’s wish and hope to rescue the world kt our expense, has injured American industries and agriculture, and has added unemployment, destitution and want. The combined effort of :eckless uninformed trade agreements, plus the Administration's monetary policies, are fast putting our nation under foreign control.” Government Attacked The speaker, whose appearance on the dais was greeted with tremendous cheering, immediately cried: “Over three long years we have had a Government without political morality.” He then demanded honest money and Government to run in a businesslike manner. He demanded no importation of goods which can be made or grown in the United States, prosperous agriculture, competition in business. reduction of taxation, the elimination of Government competition in business and the avoidance of all foreign entanglement. There was brief applause at the conclusion of the address, and the convention promptly adjourned till tomorrow morning.