Evening star., 1934-01-12
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE

many congratulations on his recent
speech in the House. defending the
constitutionality of N. r. A. The
Brooklyn man happened to have the
moor about the same time that Chief
Justice Hughes was rendering the
Supreme Courts decision Affirming
the validity of the Minnesota mortgage
moratorium law. Mr.. Black. himself
lawyer, used so many of the identical
precedents and arguments adduced by
the Chief Justice that a congressional
friend, In note Of commendation
next day. asked jocularly: Did you
plagiarize from Hughes, or did he have
an advance copy of your speech?"
Mr.. Black Is the author Of a House
Dill designed to displace the Tugwell
food and drugs bill, now known in its
amended form as the Copeland SEN
ate Dill. The measure introduced by
the New York Representative is spon-
sored by the National Drug Conference.
**
James G. Mcdonald. League of Ma
tions High Commissioner for Refugees
from Germany will be in Washington
next week to discuss questions affect
ing possible immigration of refugees
INTO this country. So far. the United
States has not consented to establish a
quota for the benefit of people fleeing
from Nazi oppression, although France
ana several European countries have
absorbed, 1t is estimated, some 5000 of
them. Next Sunday afternoon Mr. Nc
Donald Is broadcasting over a nation.
wide network talk on Christian Re-
spons1bility Toward German Refugees. 4"
In the course Of which it's supposed he
may suggest what the United States
should do. A few German refugees are
now here on temporary passports.
It's being pointed out as an inter-
esting circumstance that three out of
the five Supreme Court liberals" who
put the hallmark of constitutionality
on the Minnesota branch of the new
deal were placed on the bench by
tice Hughes and Associate justices
Roberts and Cardozo. The two others
Brandeis and Stone-were appointed
respectively, by Presidents Wilson and
Coolidge. There's now a tendency to
classify the Chief Justice as a def
mite member of the liberal bloc"
Some of the Progressives who so
hotly opposed his confirmation in
1880 are today privately inclined to
admit that they done him wrong,
Mr.. Hughes friends have always held
that his liberalism is of far ripper vint-
age than that of certain moderns who
claim the label They recall how 25
years ago he led the New York bar
at Albany in the fight to prevent the
ousting of a group Of legislators on the
ground that they were disqualified, as
Socialists. from sitting in the Empire
State Assembly.
Former Representative Willie" D.
Upshaw of Georgia is in town visiting
old haunts on the House side of the
Capitol. His coat lapel still adorned
with the familiar silver white ribbon,
willie" says his heart is not bowed
down by the abolition of prohibition.
to the advocacy of which he has given
lifetime. I'm for it," he says. "in-
ternally, externally and eternally" Up
shaw Is still lecturing before schools
and adult bodies on the evil of rum.
He tenaciouSly breaches the gospel that
the demons triumph'is temporary, be-
cause some day. having experienced the
perils Of re-legalizng him in this high
ly mechanized age. the country. will re-
pent and go dry again.
Copyright, 1934.)