Evening star., 1926-10-11

Oliver Wendell Holmes. the senior
justice. both in age and in tenure of
service, of the Supreme Court. ap-
peared as alert as ever in mind and
body when the court convened last
week after the Summer recess. Ten
years ago talk was rife that Justice
Holmes would shortly retire on ac-
count of age. Five years ago his
retirement was treated as a near GER
tainty and stories kept popping up
in the papers Of various eminent
jurists sure to be named to the i'm
pending vacancy. This talk has
ceased. The justice. who graduated
from Harvard College the year of
the outbreak of the Civil War and
who was three times wounded while
serving on the Union side, who was
nearly So years old when Roosevelt
appointed him to the Supreme bench,
and who has served there "a years, Is
the marvel of the age. His faculties,
both mental and physical. are ap-
parently unimpaired. He always was
and still is one Of the most attentive
listeners when cases are argued,
chock- full of pertinent questions-the
terror Of weak lawyers or lawyers
before the court. He does a prodi-
gious amount Of work, studying briefs
and writing opinions. There may
have been a time, q long time back.
when he contemplated the arrival of
a day when he would feel disposed
to lay aside his burdens. No one
knows for that is question no Su-
preme Court justice is ever asked.
But that time has passed. 1t is safe
to surmise that he now expects, and
his colleagues now expect, that
Justice Holmes will die in the harness
and that, a long time off.
X X x X
Mrs Emily Newell Blair, vice.chair-
man of the Democratic national com.
'mittee, and Mrs. Alvin r. Hert, who
holds like post on the Republican
side, were both recent Washington
visitors. Both busted themselves at
the national headquarters of their
respective parties and then departed.
Mrs. Blair for her home in Missouri
and Mrs. Hert to Kentucky Each
professed to be plea ased with the politi-
cal outlook. The woman voters are
likely to have considerable to say
at the polls next month, but so far
as surface indications go, they ap-
pear to be saying very little in the
conduct Of the campaign.
The Battle Monuments Commission
has approved the project of the Yankee
division to acquire and restore a tiny
church in the little town of Belleau,
France, as a permanent memorial to
the division. This will be the first
memorial Of its kind placed in France
by any unit of the A. f. F., and the
tol& a. l., lal
Pershing, believes the plan an excel
lent one and certain to meet with
general approval, both here and in
France. The French government is
restoring other churches in the battle
area. The church selected to be the
Yankee division chapel is near Bel
leau Woods. scene Of the heaviest
casualties on the American side. To
forge another link with the past, the
chapel will be reconstructed in the
style of the middle ages.
X x X
The Democratic senatorial nominee
in California. John B. Elliott, has
lots of friends in Washington who
are pulling for his success, for he
was not so long ago a newspaper
correspondent here. If he should win
he will be the first man in many
years to move from seat in the
Senate press gallery to seat on the
Senate floor. California Republicans,
however, refuse to admit that their
State is in the doubtful column this
year, and seem very confident that
Senator Shortridge, who opposes Ell
lott, IS sure of reelection. Elliott
! is a McAdoo adherent, and his Nc
| Adoo backing in California this year
appears at long range to be both an
asset and a liability.
y r.
The Harding Memorial Association