Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-06
COOLIDGE STUDYING
NAMING OF JUDGE
President Reviews QuaIifica-
lions Before Filling District
Supreme Court Bench.

With the appointment yesterday O
Leo A. Rover as United States ATTORNEY
for the District of Columbia, PreSiden
Coolidge now has only to fill the adj
ditional place on the bench of the SUI
preme Court of the District created BY
recent act of Congress and he viii
have disposed of all pending local ap.
| pointments.
Although Mr.. Coolidge has no in.
tention of acting hastily in making this
| bench appointment, there is every rea.
son to feel that there will be no great
delay in reaching a decision. Already
| he has a SiZeable list of availables IL
! consider.
When he sent Mr.. Rover's nomination
| to the Senate yesterday he caused nc
! great surprise MIR. Rover who was
| first assistant in the United States at
| torney'S office at the time Maj. Peyton
Gordon was elevated to the bench OF
the Supreme Court to succeed Justice
A. A. Hoehling. has been serving as
United States attorney ever since. by
reason of a temporary appointment by
the local Supreme Court.
1t has been explained at the White
House that the reason for the PreSi-
dents long delay in appointing Mr.
Rover was due to the fact that he did
not care to make recess appointment
and therefore postponed action until
the Senate was again in session. In
asmuch as the office was being filled by
Mr. Rover he saw no need for hurry
ing matters.
The Presidents final selection of Mr..
Rover. a native of this city, is known
to have met with the general approba-
ton of the bench and bar. Before
making the appointment, Mr.. Coolidge
is known to have received decidedly
favorable reports regarding the manner
in which Mr.. Rover has conducted the
United States attorneys Office since he
was placed in charge last April.
Aside from the many friends he has
made in an official way, Mr. Rover is
we'll known in Washington. He Is past
State deputy of the knights of
Columbus and was active In the interest
Of the Republican national ticket dur
ing the recent campaign.
Record of Rover.
When first appointed an assistant
United States attorney in 1924. Rover
took charge of narcotic violations and
was instrumental in sending at least
two offenders to the penitentiary for
terms of Is years and in obtaining
convictions of smaller dealers who re-
ceived lighter sentences. Rover also
prosecuted Hellmuth P. Holler, charged
with operating diploma mill" known
as the Oriental University.
Promoted by Maj. Gordon to be first
assistant, July /, 1925, he took over the
charge of civil work of the Office, where
he handled a number of cases brought
against various members of the cabinet
in their official positions, except those
against the Secretary of the Interior.
He won private suit against Secretary
Mellon for 100000 damages brought
by Walter Holland, and a private suit
against Secretary Kellogg for 100000
brought by H. Ely Goldsmith. Rover
also successfully defended suit brought
against Secretary Mellon and the Direc-
tor OF the Mint to compel the purchase
by the United States of 100000
ounces of silver, which, If lost, would
have cost the Government $780, 900.
Mr. Rover's closest rival for appoint
ment was United States Attorney James
M. Proctor, who had the unanimous
backing of the Republican State COM
mittee in and for the District, as well
as many of influential citizens, includ-
ing number of members Of the local
bar.
Status of Proctor.
1t is understood, however, that Mr..
Coolidge was impressed sufficiently by
what he learned about Mr.. Proctor
from those who were urging his ap-
pointment to this post to include him
in the list of those whom he will con-
slider in connection with the newly
created Supreme Court judgeship.
The Republican State committee of
this city has recommended John Lewis
Smith, former president of the local
bar association and past national COM
mander of the Spanish American War
Veterans. Edward F. Colladay, Repub-
lican national committeeman for the
District, and William T. Galliher, rep
resenting the State committee, and a
committee representing the local bar
association called at the White House
yesterday to speak in advocacy of Mr..
Smith for this bench appointment
The President was represented after
ward as having listened attentiveiy to
all that was said in MIR. Smiths behalf
and to have asked number of ques-
tons regarding his capacity for the
judiciary, but he in no wise committed
himself. He gave the impression, how
ever, that he intends to look the field
of availables over before making a
selection. He indicated that he hopes
to land a lawyer of high standards.
Besides Mr. Smith and Mr.. Proctor
other local lawyers known to be under
consideration for this bench appoint
ment are George p. Barse, general
counsel for the controller of the cur
rency; Dale Drain, William w. Bride.
corporation counsel for the District:
Henry H. Classic former member of the
United States Tariff Commission, and
Paul E. Lesh. George G. Butte of
Texas, formerly attorney general of
Porto Rico and now a special assistant
to the Attorney General of the United
States, also is being considered.
FURNACE GIVES CLUE