Evening star., 1937-07-21
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM UILE.

Hardly anything short Of the detection
of Jim Farley himself could deal the
administration a stiffer uppercut than
Gov. Lehman's opposition to the Su-
preme Court bill The And thou
BrutuS!" episode is unparalleled in New
Deal history. 1t is easy to credit re-
ports of fierce White House resentment
over an incident that may have vast
consequences, not only for the i'm
mediate fate of the judiciary Dlan. but
Tor future Democratic fortunes, both in
New York City and State. and nationally
There is scarcely any other Democrat of
prominence in the country upon whose
k-and-thin devotion F. D. R. counted
as confidently as he relied upon Lehman.
The New Deals high regard for him as
a political asset was demonstrated by its
frantic anxiety to persuade the Governor
to run for third term last year as the
SureSt guarantee that the Empire States
At electoral votes would remain in the
Democratic column. Because of the
deep personal friendship that unites the
President and his fellow New Yorker, it
would be premature TO conclude that
RooSevelt-Lehman breach of the bitter
ness of the Roosevelt-Smith split has
occurred. But the Wagner letter takes
the Governor far off the reservation.
Reconciliation seems out of the Ques-
ton.
Prospectivelv the next few hours will
reveal whether or not the Lehman shot
is destined to leave the court bill in
utter ruins. The first blush impression
is that the Governor has dealt a death
blow to Mr.. Roosevelt's hopes. That will
almost certainly be the case if Senator
Wagner. hitherto listed as publicly un-
committed, should disclose his intention
of acting on Gov. Lehman's advice and
voting against the measure There is.
of course, nothing mandatory about the
Governors letter, especially as he was
at pains to write 'as citizen of the
State of New York" and not as chief
executive. Bob Wagner is SO uncom-
monty dependent-minded a statesman
that if he personally believes in the
court-reform proposition his friends
think he will not hesitate to support it.
Be this as it may, the Senator finds him
self in tough spot. He must choose
between his consistent devotion to the
New Deal, of which he is an original
patentee, and that widespread hostility
to the court project in his home State.
which the Governors letter so dra-
matically exposes.
Proponents and opponents alike agree
that Mr.. Lehman's 40O-Word blast, de-
spite its terseness, constitutes about the
most devastating attack yet made on the
plan to destroy the independence of the
Federal judiciary. It merits this de-
scription because of its studied restraint
and the fact that it emanates from a
quarter so conspicuously friendly to
President Roosevelt. If and when de-
bate on the proposition is resumed, the
Albany communication is assured fire.
quent quotation at the Capitol.
X X X
Senator Barkley of Kentucky, re-
puted White House favorite for the
Senate majority leadership, has rated
high in New Deal estimation ever since
he keynoted the 1882 Chicago convention
which gave Mr.. Roosevelt his maiden
nomination. 1t fell to the Blue Grass
statesman's lot to make the first procla-
nation of the Democratic party's inten-
ton to advocate repeal of the eighteenth
amendment. Casting of the Kentuckian
for that role was all the more signi-
ficant because he ranked as an ardent
prohibitionist. Barkley's choice for key
noter at Philadelphia In 1896 established
his continued high status in the Presi-
dents graces. Long credited with White