Evening star., 1937-07-26
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE,

fact that labor is enjoying a larger
share of the rewards than it did in the
so-called boom years.
While comment on lately embittered
events almost universally depicts Presi-
dent Roosevelt as chief loser and victim,
victors in the judiciary battle say that
some of the places on the mourners'
bench should be allotted to certain brain
trusters-mainly. young legalistic lum-
lnarieS of the New Deal-who are re-
garded as the real villains of the court
packing piece. The rebuke which Con-
gress and the country have just admin
1stered to their ill-Starred ideas discredits
them, according to some Capitol leaders,
FAR more than the President, to whom
their patent medicine was sold. In this
connection, 1t is suggested that while
Roosevelt has lost political prestige, his
popularity is probably not diminished
in any proportionate degree A friendly
court opponent thinks the London Eco
nomlst's recent survey of the New Deal
put matters in q nutshell when it said
that while the President may not always
have the right answers, he asks more of
the right questions than any other con-
temporary American statesman has done
Senate court oppositionists grabbed
most OF the recent national limelight,
but honorable mention is due those
House Democrats who. within a week
OF the launching of the Presidents court
proposal, made public protest against it.
Prominent in that pioneer group were
Representatives Celler of New York,
Pettengill of Indiana, Cox of Georgia
and Lamneck of Ohio. Judiciary Com
mittee Chairman Summers OF Texas was
also in the vanguard. as was Representa-
tive Drewry Of Virginia. Beginning as a
slender minority bloc, the movement
was destined to grow into what un-
doubtedly would have become a stable
majority against the bill. All the early
House protectors would have been in
the thick of the fray had the doomed
scheme ever reached their side of the
Capitol.
Those who believe that what really
killed the judiciary bill was the change
of heart which the Supreme Bench
underwent after February are recalling
wisecrack by distinguished foreign
member of the press gallery who is famed
for his politial epigrams. His court jest
was: "A switch in time saved nine"
X Il
Dear Alben" Barkley's election to the
Senate majority leadership brings par
ticular JOY to the countrys rail workers.
Almost Is years ago, as a member of the
House, the Kentuckian introduced the
famous Howell -Barkley bill at the re-
quest of the standard railroad labor
organizations The measure had hard
shedding in both branches of Congress,
having been stubbornly opposed by the
carriers. but eventually, and largely
under Barkley's leadership, the first rail-
way labor act was passed, and years later
was strengthened by amended legisla-
ton In 1926 railmen had an oppor-
tunity to show their appreciation OF
Barkley's friendship, when he was in
the midst Of his first and hotly contested
senatorial campaign. Labor, official
organ of the brotherhoods. spread
special edition over the Blue Grass
State, which helped materially to give
him victory.
Americans recently in Europe bring
back a report current in Berlin that
Vladimir Romm, former Washington
correspondent Of the principal Soviet
Newspaper. 1zvestia, who was implicated