U.S PRESIDENCY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19049, 30 June 1924, Page 5

U.S PRESIDENCY

THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION ’WARE THE KLAN Received June 28, 5.30 pjn. _ (Reuter). NEW YORK, June 2i. An open fight in the Democratic Convention on the Ku Klux Klan was the forecast for to-day, but platform builders, after they had spent many hours trying to agree on the subject of a declaration regarding the League of Nations Committee, cet and said there was little prospect of the committee reporting a platform with a Klan plank that would avoid a row. The McAdoo delegates openly disavowed sympathy, on the part of Mr McAdoo, with religious intolerance. THE FOURTH SESSION MUCH NOISE AND LITTLE WOOL. Received June 28, 5.30 p.m. NEW YORK, June 27. The Democratic Convention’s fourth session opened with delegates tired and the real business barely begun. The Resolutions Committee is still at a deadlock over important planks of the platform, and choice of candidate has not yet been determined. The McAdoo and Smith factions are still jockeying for tactical advantages, each side glorying over the minutest victory. Mr Smith’s partisans are now claiming that yesterday’s adjournment, which the McAdoo leaders opposed, shows in a test vote that Mr McAdoo does not even control a majority of delegates. The Convention meantime to-day continued with speeches by proposers and seconders of nominations. Mr Nekton D. Baker, former Secretary for War, in a brilliant speech, named Mr Cox, who represented the strongest exposition of the late President 'Wilson’s League view during his candidacy in 1920. Mr Baker’s speech was the most stirring of the Convention, aud dealt exclusively with foreign affairs. Its keynote was the League of Nations, the necessity for which was due, he said, to the fact that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse no longer only tread the highways of war, but are scattered into the bridle paths of peace. Mr Baker recounted the accomplishments of the League, and delegates cheered, but he suddenly launched into an attack on the Ku Klux Klan, and the Republican Administration generally, especially its corruption. Mr Baker himself is considered a more likely candidate than Mr Cox, since the Democrats are not inclined again to choose the leader of a lost cause. There was a mild demonstration when Mr Baker Mrs Carroll Winter, of Pittsburg, who is seconding the nomination of Mr Smith, pleaded that there should be no discrimination * against the Governor of New York because he was a Catholic. A wild demonstration on behalf of Mr Smith followed. The putting of nominations was continued. Governor Brown, of New Hampshire, Mr Silzer and Mr Bryan were named. Mr O’Connor, a delegate from North Dakota, brought about an outburst when seconding Mr McAdoo’s nomination. He said: “I condemn the organisation known as the Ku Klux Klan.” This was a clever Smith manoeuvre, whereby anti-Klan supporters of Mr McAdoo were forced to make known their disagreement with Mr McAdoo on the Klan issue. Many women continued making seconding speeches, but delegates were getting tired of secondings, and the floor showed crowds’ typical mercilessness. Several male speakers were peremptorily silenced. Then Mr Glass was presented and seconded amidst acclamation. Ex-Ambassador Davis was also named and cheered. Mr Cummins, chairman of the Resolutions Committee, announced that the committee would be unable to report a platform until next morning, an< the Convention thereupon adjourned. Wayne B. Wheeler, counsel for the Anti-Saloon League, declare* that Prohibition agents %)0 cases of liquor, and 34,000 gal New York since the -Tie'S 5 Convention opened. SHAPING THE PLANKS SOCIALISTIC PROPOSALS ENDORSED. LEAGUE OE NATIONS OUTSTANDING ISSUE. Received June 29, 5.5 p m < f (Reuter). WASHINGTON, June 28. ZA proposal for a national referendum on the question of the United States’ membership in the League of Nations was approved by the platform comi : rtce of the Democratic Convention by 3? vote.- * ’ ’ NL.. VO-K. June 27. Furt.ur planks unaiii .tous’y accepted by th;- sub committee of the Resolutions Committee pledge a further reduction in land and naval armament, conscription of other resources besides manpower during war, and in favour of exclusion of Asiatics; pledge the Government to a public works programme during unemploymen; endorse collective bargaining and the right of Labour to organise; and pledge the Government io recover the Navy’s oil reserves, and honesty in Government. The full committee adopted the majority report on the League plank, pledging membership in a World Court’ co-operation in the settlement of European trouble, and a general referendum concerning entrance into the League at some future date. Senators Baker and Glass declare thq.t they will present a minority re>port to the Convention, endorsing immediate entry into the League. The full committee likewise adopted the majority report on the Klan planks, guaranteeing religious freedom and condemning secret societies without mentioning the Klan.

The anti-Klan forces will present a

minority report to the Convention, specifically mentioning and condemning the Klan. The Prohibition plank consists of a general declaration for law enforcement. (Reuter). NEW YORK, June 28. The platform which was to-day submitted to the Democratic Convention in addition to calling for a referendum on the League of Nations, contains fifty planks outlining the party policy in the event of victory, but chiefly criticising the Republicans. The pledges include further tax reduction and revision of the tariff; legislation restoring the farmer to economic equality with other industrialists; strict control and conservation of the nation’s resources; Government control of the anthracite industry and all other corporations controlling necessaries; the operation of a Government-owned merchant marine so long as necessary, without obstructing the development of privately-owned United States flag shipping. The compromise on the plank with reference to the League of Nations is causing endless controversy. The plank states that the Democratic Party pledges all its energies to outlawing the whole war system: “We refuse to believe the wholesale slaughter of human beings on the battlefield is more necessary to man’s highest development than killing by individuals. The only hopes of world peace and economic recovery lies in organised efforts by the nations combining to remove the cause of war and substituting law and order for violence. Under Democratic leadership a practical plan had been devised under which fifty-four nations were now operating and had been for the past four years, while the United States Government has had no foreign policy and consequently has delayed the restoration of political and economic conditions, which has impaired self-respect at home, diminshed prestige abroad, curtailed foreign commerce, and ruined agriculture. It is of supreme importance to civilisation and mankind that America be placed on the right side on the greatest moral question of all time. The Democratic Party declares that the next Administration should do all in its power to secure the moral leadership in the family of nations which in the providence of God we are called upon to assume. There is no substitute for the League of Nations as an agenev operating for world peace. Therefore wc declare that in the interest of peace we will establish a permanent foreign policy under which those supreme questions may be settled and not subject to change. It is wise and necessary to remove this question from party politics and that we take a census of American people by referendum, advisory to Congress, free of all contentious political questions: Shall the United States become a member of the League of Nations under such reservations to the covenant of the League as the United States may care to establish? Immediately upon an affirmative vote wc will carry out such mandate.”

The fight over the League of Nations consumed more time than any other plank. Senators Newton and Baker (Secretary for War under President Wilson), held out to the last for an unequivocal stand with reference to the United States entering the League, while William Jennings Bryan made a strong plea for a referendum. He wanted to make it possible for every Republican to vote for the League, irrespective of how he might vote in November. He wanted to get a vote of the American people that would force the Republican Senate to carry out Democratic principles. On the League question being disposed of, the committee devoted itself to the Ku Klux Klan, with every indication that majority and minority reports on the question of specifically naming the Klan will be submitted, throwing the question into open Convention.