Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-22
FIGHT Unfinished
ON EXTRA Session
Need Removed by Congress
in Postponing Action
on World Court.
RY MARK SULLIVAN.

The central question whether this
Congress will complete its essential
work during its brief remaining life
and thus avoid an extra session of the
new Congress has made progress to-
ward an affirmative answer. 1t is now
practically certain that the World
Court controversy, which would be very
time consuming, is out OF the way OF
the present Congress. Some ardent
friends Of the court are sill energel-
cally demanding that the present seS-
sion act upon it. To any one having
the faintest sense of reality in politics
this is quite impossible.
The court when it comes up Ill the
Senate will consume at least month
of controversial debate. There are
barely so working days of the present
session left. 1t is a real question
whether this is enough for the lmpera-
tive appropria ions and the other un-
postponable work this session must do.
Court Question Seems SheIved.
AS friends of the court come to
realize it cannot be handled at this
session, they have made demand that
the President, after this session ends,
should call a special session of the Sen
ate alone, without the House, to deal
with the court. President Hoover,
however, has made it known that Moth
ing will cause him to call special
session of either the Senate or the
whole Congress excepting failure OF
the present Congress to pass the APP
preparation bills, without which the
Government cannot function. This
makes it practically certain the World
Court will not come up until the new
Congress holds its first regular seS-
sion, which will be in December OF next
year. That the question shall come
up not later than that time and be
disposed of is agreed by the official
friends and opponents of the court
within the Senate.
With the court out of the way, the
question is whether the remainder of
the present session is enough to pass
the regular appropriations and dispose
of other indispensable business. The
session will end at noon, March 4. By
the calendar that is 70 days away.
There must be subtracted, however, the
Christmas recess and nine Sundays and
two holidays, Washingtons birthday
and Lincoln's. There must be sub
tracted, indeed, more than that, be-
cause occasionally one chamber or the
other, especially the Senate, will not
meet on Saturdays. 1t Is doubtful II
there will be as many as SO working
days of both chambers. That is enough
time to dispose of all the approprla-
ton bills and the other imperative
legislation.
To say there is enough time IS not
necessarily to say the thing will be
done. The rules of the Senate and the
individual disposition of some Senators
are such that an appropriation bIt can
be kept in the air until the Senate as
q whole comedies some point desired by
one Senator. An example Of this oc-
CURED last week.
Business Apparently Seeks Respite.
Nevertheless, the prevailing opinion
and the best Judgment are that this
session will duly conclude its work by
March and thereuEon cease to exist.
For feeling this is the greater hkeli-
hood, the best reason is the disposition
of the mass of Senators and Repre-
sentatives. A great majority OF them,
especially the Republicans, want no
special session. Among Democrats, the
Official leaders and the more respon-
sible Senators and Representatives
want no special session. They know the
new Congress will be a chaotic one be-
cause the parties viii be almost exactly
equal In both chambers. Democratic
leaders prefer not to be responsible for
a new Congress that may make an I'M
favorable impression on the country be-
cause of the high partisanship certain
to attend its uniquely divided mem
bership.
with a majority Of both parties want
ing to avoid a special session, the small
group who want one and you'd pre-
cipitate one are little awed by the evil
dence that the business of the country
wishes a respite from Congress for the
sake of quiet recuperation. 1t seems
likely therefore that the present Con-
gress will duly end on March q, and
that thereafter for nine months there
will be no Congress whatever until the
first regular meeting of the new Con-
0ress on December z of next year.