The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1935-12-16
Washington
Merry-Go-
Round
BY DREW PEARSON and
ROBERT S. ALLEN.

ROBERT -. ALLEN.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 16.-The
w greatest drama OF the New
Deal these days is being enacted in
a dazzling white marble hall just
across from the Capitol.
Outside its door the Standing
Room Only is hanging.
Newton D. Baker, former secre-
tary of war, mods to James NJ. Beck,
former solicitor general. Attorney
General Cummings shakes hands
with eX-Secretary of State Kellogg.
The stage is a long dais OF care
fully polished mahogany. And at
the hands OF the great gold clock
suspended above it come together
at noon, a hushed silence falls over
the throng
Behind the velvet curtains at one
side, nine aged actors wait for their
cue. They are gowned in black. In
front of them is little boy in knee
breecheS. At a nod from the lead
ing mana bearded gentleman of
stately mien-the boy pushes buzz
ger and the Nine Old Men advance
abreast through the curtains:
The audience rises.
The Honorable, the Chief Justice
and the Associate Justices of the
Supreme Court of the United
StateS!" calls the court crier.
"Oyez, oyez, oyez! All persons
having business before the honor
able, the Supreme Court are admon-
ished to draw near and give their
attention. for the Court is now sit
ting God save the United States
and this honorable Court"
The Justices take their seats.
THE chairs in which they sit are
Il the only protest which the
most venerable court of the land
made against the encroachment Of
modernity in their new temple Of
justice. Marble pillars, air cooling
shower baths. fountains, expansive
fire places-all these they accepted.
But at new chairs they baked. So
now they still teeter back and
fourth in the old worn leather
swivel-c chairs from the old Supreme
Court chamber.
Chief Justice Hughes mods to
Justice Cardozo at the extreme left,
and Justice Cardozo launches a
long talk on building and loan as
sociations. Newsmen stuff mes
sages into pneumatic tubes to be
carried to the telegraph room on
the floor above. No scurrying mes
senger boys disturb the supreme
serenity.
Like a schoolmaster calling on
mis- pupils. the stately Chief Justice
mods to one, then another of his
colleagues. They recite.
Opinion after opinion droneS on:
Indian property, Workmen's COM
pensation, mortgages, garbage dis
posal. The eXpectant audience is
bored.
Ut is 1870 p. m. Suddenly the
l. court recesSeS. The first act has
been a dud. But, as if with a sense
of the dramatic, the nine aged &C
tors have kept their best show fol
the end.
Crackers and milk in the robing
room. Justice Brandies eats two
sandwiches put up ip small box
by his wife before he leaves home
Justice McReynolds prefers more
solid food.
Once again the justices march out
on their stage. Sharp-nosed Stan
ley Reed, solicitor of the Justice De-
partment, stands before them II
morning coat and gray-striped trou-
sers Senator Smith, co-author Of
the AAA Act, cups one hand be-
hind large ear. Mordecai Ezekiel
economist of the Agriculture De-
partment, forgets that he has beer
standing on his feet for one hour
But the chief actors appear blase
and bored. Roberts, at the right
leans forward to whisper to Jus.
tice Butler, his neighbor Next tt
him, Mr.. McReynolds lets his eyer
close and his head drop forward
Solicitor Reed talks on.
Suddenly McReynolds snaps tt
life as if from a deep sleep. Blu
the question that he shoots at Mr.
Reed indicates he was not doing
Justice Butler shoots another ques.
ton. Then Mr.. Sutherland, ther
Mr.. BrandeiS.
The nine justices have come II
life. At last they have reached
their climax Questioning and ar.
gument continue that afternoon anC
part of the next day, but the fina
fate OF the AAA will not be Learned
until about the first week in Jan
uary.
Justices Stone and Roberts arr
the only members of the Court wht
attend the theater. But there i
no doubt about it-they all appre
ciate drama.
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