Evening star., 1937-03-15

Opening hostilities In the Supreme
Court battle-presentation Of the ad-
ministration's case before the Senate
Judiciary Committee-have, by pretty
general consent. strengthened the
Roosevelt position. How the presi-
Dental ramparts will look after they're
raked fore and aft by the big opposi-
ton guns that will begin barking next
week is another matter. The commit
tee heckling to which both Attorney
General Cummings and Assistant At
torney General Jackson were subjected
is foretaste Of what portends when
the proposition is under fire on the
Senate floor There's lively curiosity as
to how long administration forces will
permit the bill to languish in COM
mittee. If there's any indication that
the enemy seeks to bottle it up, White
House leaders may resort to the par
liamentary recourse of seeking the COM
mittees discharge, with view to rela-
lively early action in the chamber. Re-
ports persist that Senator Ashurst's COL
leagues are preponderantly opposed to
the bill, which suggests an adverse re-
port. Even the stanchest proponent
does not expect the measure to emerge
from committee except in amended
form, perhaps with Mr.. Roosevelt's bless
ing.
Congressional advocates of the pro-
gram long in public service say they
have never known of such far-reaching
efforts as are being made to influence
the public mind in the judiciary con-
troversy. The propaganda in question
is assailed by administrationiSts as 'im-
proper" because it is alleged to consist
of half truths and whole falsehoods."
The shoals of pamphlets and state
ments drenching Representatives and
Senators reveal that not only have exist
ing national organizations Of all sorts
joined in the drive against the BILL but
that an entirely new crop of commit
tees, leagues, women's clubs and other
groups is springing into life like mush-
rooms all over the country. These con-
ditions, of course, exemplify the un-
precedentedly agitated state of the Ma
tion's mind over the issue raised by
Mr.. Roosevelt. His opponents probably
justify their strong-arm missionary
methods on the ground that in his fire.
side chats the President has an un-
equaled advantage and one Warranting
high pressure educational tactics in re-
buttal. To date the Capitol has expert
enced no more intensive persuasive ef-
fort than last weeks lobby by labors
Non-PartiSan League.
Although DR.. Townsend, facing un-
bowed the possibility of Jail, says his
pension idea cannot be Imprisoned"
the congressional consensus is that the
Californian's plan" is doomed beyond
redemption, at least as far as any
visible prospect of legislation is con-
cerned. Meetings held at the Capitol
during the Winter developed that only
meager support exists for it, Probably
before the session is over bills favoring
the scheme, in one form or another,
will be trotted out. But at this writing
few politicians consider that Town
sendism any longer has Chinamans
chance.
Xxx X
You can get almost any kind of
figures you please these days as to the
outcome of the fight. One current esti-
mate, said to emanate from authentic
Republican quarters, fixes forty-two as
the probable maximum of Senate
strength upon which the bills foes at
present can count. This comedies the
administration an outside total of fifty
four votes. But opponents say the
game is young and that today's minority,
by the time the decisive showdown