Evening star., 1937-04-25
BY G. GOULD LINCOLN.

Disapproval of President Roosevelt's S
court bill by the Senate Judiciary
Committee. SO far as it relates to the
Supreme Court, hung in the air as a
possibility last night.
The outcome depended upon the
hnal attitude taken by three or four
members Of the committee still uncom-
mitted and who have proposed or are
backing compromise amendments to
the bill.
Meanwhile, 1t was learned that an
effort to divide the Presidents court
bill into two separate meaSures-one
devoted to the Supreme Court alone
will be made when the Senate Ju-
dietary Committee meets Tuesday at
1890 an in executive session. Sen
ator Van Nuys of Indiana, an op-
ponent of the Presidents Supreme
Court program. said:
Il have a motion so to separate the
bill now pending and I intend to ask
vote on it in committee 1t will be
one of the first motions brought up
Hopes Motion Will Prevail.
The Indiana Senator said he hoped
his motion would prevail Doubt was
expressed in other quarters, however,
that it would succeed. Van Nuys said
there was little, if any, opposition to
those features of the court bill outside
Of the proposal to give the President
authority to appoint maximum of six
additional new justices of the Su-
preme Court, one for each justice now
over 7o1s years of age.
As the bill now goes into its second
phase Of consideration by the COM
mittee- with the hearings endeo-the
impression prevailed that it would be
reported to the Senate without amend
ment so fas as it relates to the Su-
preme Court. However, a number of
amendments to that part of the bill
will be offered in committee and voted
upon.
Opponents Of the Supreme Court
plan of the President believe that it
will be In its weakest and most vul-
nerable condition if it is reported
unamended. For that reason the irrec-
oncilables in the committee like
Burke of Nebraska, Van Nuys Of 1ndi-
ana, King Of Utah, Borah Of Idaho
and others will resist the McCarran
amendment to substitute a proposal
for the addition of two new justices.
and amendments offered by Senators
Hatch of New Mexico and McGili of
Kansas, which would permit the ap-
pointment Of one or two additional
justices each year only. up to maxi
mum Of Is. The supporters of the
Presidents plan will resist such
amendments also.
Committee Is Divided.
The committee was divided last
night, it was said, approximately as
follows, on the Presidents Supreme
Court program: For: Chairman Ash
urst OF Arizona, Senators Neely of
West Virginia, Logan of Kentucky,
Dieterich of Illinois, McGill of Kansas,
Pittman of Nevada and Norris OF
Nebraska. Against: Senators King
OF Utah, Van Nuys Of Indiana, Burke
of Nebraska, Connally of Texas, Borah
Of Idaho, Austin of Vermont and
Steiwer of Oregon. Uncommitted:
Senators McCarran of Nevada Hatch
Of New Mexico, O'Mahoney of Wy
oming and Hughes of Delaware
.OMahoney, it is expected, will vote
against the bill in its present form
when the final showdown comes in
committee. What the other three
Senators, McCarran, Hatch and
Hughes, will do has not been finally
disclosed If one Of them sides with
the opposition, the committee would
divide to 9, defeating a motion to
report the measure favorably, and
some other steps would have to be
taken to bring the bill before the
Senate-perhaps a motion to report
without recommendation. If two Of
the Senators join the opposition, the
bill might be reported unfavorably to
the Senate, or an effort made to table
the measure in committee If the
latter motion prevailed it would take
vote OF the Senate to discharge the
committee from further consideration
of the bill to get 1t to the floor Of the
Senate.
Chairman Ashurst frankly admitted
that there was grave doubt as to what
1See .ITTnTC1APY paoe A-II