Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-01-05
HOOVER NOM|NATES
TWO TO D. c. BENCH
Hitz and Groner Names Sent
to Senate for Court
Of Appeals.

President Hoover today sent to the
Senate the nominations of William
Hitz of this city and D. Lawrence
Groner of Norfolk, Va, to be associate
justices of the Court of Appeals of the
District of Columbia.
Both of these nominees are at pres
ent in the Federal judiciary. Justice
Hitz for Is years has been on the bench
of the Supreme Court of the District
of Columbia, and Justice Groner for
nine years has been a United States
district judge in the Eastern district OF
Virginia.
At the same time the President sent
to the Senate the nomination Of George
c. Aukam of this city for another term
of three years as judge of the Munic-
ipal Court of the District of Columbia.
Judge Aukam has been a judge Of this
court since its origin in 1909, when he
was first appointed by President Roose-
welt.
Fills Two Vacancies.
BY appointing Justices Hitz and
Groner to the Court of Appeals Of this
city, President Hoover has filled two
vacancies which were created when the
membership of that court was increased
by an act of Congress year ago.
Both of these elevations IN the per-
sonnet Of the judiciary are known to
have been made upon the recommen-
dalton Of Attorney General Mitchell
and are in line with the Presidents
policy of promition within the service.
Justice Hitz, who is SD years old, was
appointed by Woodrow Wilson and is
a Democrat. Justice Groner Is 81 years
old and was originally appointed to the
itfl fafa wy INV praciIarf LIordfno
Justice Groner has been active in
Republican politics in his State and
in 1901 was his party's candidate for
attorney general of the State. He has
been delegate to Republican National
Conventions five times.
Successors Not Named.
Successors to these two elevated
jurists will not be appointed until the
latter have been confirmed by the
Senate. There are number of aspirants
under consideration for each court.
Both the President and Attorney Cen
eral Mitchell have intimated a prefer
ence on their part to select some one
from the District of Columbia to take
Justice Hits place on the local Su-
preme Court bench. At the top of the
list of local attorneys known to have
been proposed and who are believed to
be under serious consideration Is James
M. Proctor. Mr.. Proctor is a native of
this city and was recommended for the
bench appointment by the Bar Asso-
citation of the District of Columbia as
well as by Republican National Com
mitteeman Colliday and other Republi-
can leaders and others.
Within the past week or so a strong
move has been started for Represent
alive F. Dickinson Let's of Davenport.
Iowa, who was defeated for reelection
last November.
In advocating Mr. Let's appoint
ment, much stress has been laid on
the fact that before coming to Congress
in 1924 he was a judge of the seventh
judicial district of Iowa, in which
capacity he served for eight years.
The impression is that unless con-
siderable political pressure is brought
to bear the Supreme Court appoint
ment will go to Washington lawyer,
possibly Mr.. Proctor. Among the others
who have been considered are Prescott
Galley, Frederick de Faust and Paul
Sleman.