Evening star., 1937-06-13
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

The tug Of war over President
Roosevelt's court reorganization bill
Is coming soon in the Senate
The measure will be adversely re-
ported to the Senate tomorrow by the
Judiciary Committee, and will be
placed on the calendar Immediately
Present plans, however, are to dis
pose OF the general appropriation bills
and the relief bill before the Senate
makes the court bill its unfinished
business. Senate leaders said yes
terday they hoped to dispose finally
Of all the appropriation bills and the
relief bill within two weeks II that
be done, the court bill debate will be-
gin the latter part of June or July
/. When it will end is very different
matter.
AS the situation shapes up today
the original bill. with its proposal to
permit a maximum increase in the
Supreme Court membership to Is,
faces defeat. The administration,
however, has by no means given up
hope of wrestling a compromise. 1t
will get as much as it can in the way
OF q compromise. The general i'm
preston prevails on Capitol Hill that
the truce will follow the amendments
offered in committee by Senators
Hatch Of New Mexicon and Logan
Of Kentucky, permitting the appoint
ment Of one additional justice a year
when members of the court of retire
ment age fail to resign or retire
Foes Of Bill to Fight Truce.
The Senate opponents OF the bill
the irreconcilable groups-are ready
to fight compromise to a finish
Any plan that looks toward an in
crease in the Supreme Court member
ship will be resisted. whether it be
the Hatch or Logan proposals or any
other.
If the administration is ready to
go to the Hatch or Logan compromise
however, 1t is the opinion of some
of the leaders that enough votes can
be mustered for the compromise
to put it across-provided it can be
brought to = vote.
Opponents Of the court program
have said they will talk all Summer
if necessary, to prevent favorable &C
ton on compromise-among them
Senator's Burke Of Nebraska and Nc
Carran of Nevada. TIL. power of q
Senate f1libuster. when a large group
Of members participate, is very great
The advantage of the administration
the present session can run right along
until next January and merge with
the new session then. If it proves
necessary to remain In session that
long to get vote.
Might Delay Other Bills.
Such a filibuster might tie up all
other legislation, including the wages
and hours bill. II the court bill
were laid aside, with the understand
ing that 1t would be taken up later,
its opponents would be in a position
to debate at great length the measures
desired by the administration and 50
still further delay action on the court
bill. Included among court bill op-
ponents are some of the hardest
fighters in the Senate, resourceful and
experienced. The approaching con-
test IS reminiscent OF the Senate fight
over the Versailles treaty and the
League Of Nations covenant, which
resulted finally in the defeat of the
treaty and the covenant. In the case
of the treaty. the late President Wilson
declined absolutely to accept any
compromise and 30 lost the Senate
tight.
OF the general appropriation bills,
five have become law-the first de-
ficiency. the Treasury and Post Once,
the Navy Department, the legislative
(See JUDICIARY, Page A-S)