Evening star., 1937-02-05
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC HILLfAM VILE.

Liveliest qualification prevailed at the
White House over revived prospects for
settlement of the automobile strike. Ex-
cept for the recent occasions on which,
in succession. he 'rebuked" C.. I. O.
Chieftain Lewis and General Motors
President Sloan, Mr.. Roosevelt has pre-
served outward calm, as well as complete
neutrality, in the Michigan strife. Be
meath the surface, the administration
was filled with grave anxiety lest the
feud flare into industrial warfare OF
Nationwide dimensions. Federal peace
making activities have been conducted
by Secretary Perkins, but few doubt that
the controlling hand behind mediatory
efforts was always that of F. D. r. in
person. Gov. Murphy, too, has been
working in closest cooperation with the
President and has been directly guided
in his major moves by executive wishes
Both men were concerned primarily over
the danger that violence might result
from suppression of the Sit-down, either
before or after court action calling for
its end.
With clearing skies in the motor world
there1l be an inclination everywhere in
Washington to consider that the prin-
cipal threat to continued recovery is re-
moved This sunny view would, OF
course, be revised, should Mr. Lewis at
tempt to unionize steel along the lines
of his endeavors among motor workers
1t is because the auto industry ramifies
into so many other manufacturing fields
that President Roosevelt is anxious to
clean up the turmoil at Flint with
minimum of delay. Nearly every cur
rent business index forecasts banner
year in key branches, with progressive
benefit to the Treasury both in increased
tax revenue and reduced unemployment
relief. All these rosy prospects would
vanish II the automobile conflict is pro-
longed or should spread contagiously
into other industries. That's why the
New Deal high command has left no
stone unturned to bring the warning
factions together. 1t explains why
smiles succeeded frowns in the region OF
No. 1000 Pennsylvania avenue the mo-
ment the news from the Western front
took on less belligerent aspect.
=
Mr.. Roosevelt indicated recently that
he doesn't favor appointing to the Fed
Ci al oCilCil ally Iildu OtCl oo-o NAS'NAAA'
by the way. that spells disappointment
to certain eminent Supreme Court as
pirants. The President has just given
evidence of his partiality for younger
judiciary blood by naming John Biggs'
jr., of Delaware, to be a judge of the
United States Third Circuit Court, en-
bracing Delaware, New Jersey, and
Eastern, Middle and Western Pennsyl-
vania. Mr.. Biggs is just under AZ. Hail
ing from the Du Pont principality of
Wilmington, Mr.. Biggs is a Princeton
man and Harvard Law School graduate.
He served in the ordnance and tank
corps during the World War and has
long been active in Delaware politics,
being now Democratic State chairman.
He has been an attorney for the Penn
sylvania Railroad and other corpora
tions.
Washington newspaper men look for
a spectacular political duel between Will
liam Hard, one Of G. o. P. Chairman
Hamilton's new assistants, and Charles
Nicholson, Democratic publicity wizard.
The general supposition Is that Hard's
selection Is mainly due to the Repub-
licans' ACKNOWLEDGED need of
public relations" star of the first mag
nitude and one worthy OF MichelSons
1eel Bill and Charlie, who will now
match wits, are bosom friends. For
years they were around-the- corner
neighbors in GEORGETOWN. With recruit