The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-10-07


 Tom Corcoran's room number is 1011 in the Reconstruction Fi- nance Corporation building. If the correspondents had climbed one flight higher, to Room 1110, they would have found out where Jus tice Blacks speech actually got its ghost-writing.
 Only two men helped him with 1t, neither being Corcoran. If White House Tommy had been in on the play, it might have been 8 better speech.
 The two men were Clifford J. Durr, Blacks brother-in- law, and Claude E. Hamilton, IT,, his Alabama campaign manager. Both are of general counsel for the REC, both owe their ap- pointment solely to Black, both are closer to him than any man outside his immediate family.
 It is important to note that both also are Alabamans, may have been Klansmen, certainly understand the atmosphere in which the hooded order throve.
 This may account for the fact that Black did not directly let down his old friends. He de- nOunced the things the Klan stood for, but he did not di- rectly denounce the KIan, or express regret that he had joined.
 Politically, this is important. It is one reason why Roosevelt ad- viserS feel there is a silver lining in the Black-Klan ruckus. They consider the whole thing unfor- tunate, but inasmuch as 1t hap pened, they can't help being pleased that it has strengthened Roosevelt politically in the South and certain parts of the West where the Klan used to be power- full.
 Aloof Hughes
 Black friends are wondering what significance is attached to the fact that Chief Justice Hughes refrained from writing the new justice 8 note of congratulation or any acknowledgement of his new appointment.
 Some such note from the chief justice is customary. But Black heard not a word. This has caused the belief in pro-Black circles that the chief justice was tipped off in advance that the Klan expose was on its way. Hughes vS. Wheeler
 The hardest job confronting MT. Hughes during the present su- preme court session is to lie i'll the same bed with Senator Bur- ton K. Wheeler and with all that Wheeler stands for.
 The Montana senator, it will be recalled, was the spearhead of the Senate drive against Rooseyelt's reform bill, during which he was close to the chief justice. From Hughes he Ob- tained the letter denounced the court plan - letter which played an important part in the plans ultimate defeat.
 But now some of the other policies Wheeler championed are coming before the chief justice for judicial review. Most important of these is the Holding Corpora ton Act, which Wheeler authored and bulldozed through Congress only after a knockdown, drag-out fight.
 Wheeler's trademark is writ ten across the bill in letters a foot high, and now the question is: will the chief justice vote to throw it out? The laugh will be on Wheeler if he does.
 Another case soon coming be- fore the Court Is the Duke Power company suit to prevent PWA from granting loans to munici- palities to build power plants. Wheeler is strong for these PWA grants, but Hughes has already side-stepped the issue once. Now he is on the spot.
 Challenging Black
 It surprised no one around the Supreme Court that Justice Black was allowed to take his seat.
 The secret strategy worked out by the chief justice was to let MT. Black join the bench without challenge, then let him be challenged by counsel when- ever . case comes before the Court involving the slightest tint of religious interest. A
 Such cases may be frequent. Already an important law firm, whose members all happen to be Catholics, is considering challeng- ing Justice Black when its case shortly comes before him.