The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1937-03-18
SEEN and HEART
around the
NATIONAL CAPITAL
By Carter Field


something much more nearly ap-
proximating what the President
wants in the way of a neutrality
law than would probably have been
the case otherwise.
Interest in the Supreme court Is
sue has so completely bianketed the
arguments over the neutrality
measure that senators and repre-
sentatives so far have not really
heard enough from back home. 1t
was the hope of the extremists
among the senators, notably Ben
net Champ Clark, Homer T. Bone,
Gerald P. Nye, ETC., that there
would be deluge Of demands from
the various states and congressional
districts to the effect that their sem
ators and representatives 60 all the
way, allowing the President no dis
erection whatever.
Fear OF this demand, which most
observers agree would probably
have come had it not been for the
public mind being go conferred on
the Supreme court legislation. actu-
ally played considerable part in
making the formal committee (Sen-
ator Key Pittman) draft more
drastic than 1t might otherwise have
been. This fear, by the way, had
nothing to do with an appraisal OF
the merits OF the case. 1t was based
on the thought that it would be easy
to convince the milkman in Omaha
that this country could build wall
high enough to protect us from en-
tanglement in foreign war. Espe-
cially as it is difficult to convince
this same milkman in Omaha that
stopping international trade is even
seriously important much more
difficult to convince him that it
would almost inevitably be taking
sides.
Present indications are that the
Supreme court fight will continue to
hog the lions share OF popular at
tention for months to come. The
entire administration publicity ma
chinery is devoted to that. Every
time an outstanding Democrat OPP
poses the President it is front page
news. Just to maintain the fiction
of presenting all sides, the news
papers have to give more space
than the arguments are worth to
speeches by those favoring the Pres
| ident's side. All OF which reIegates
stories OF the neutrality bill to the
inside pages of the newspapers, and
tends to prevent the inf1aming of the
very fierce but for the moment al
most dormant desire of the coun-
try to do anything and everything
to preserve peace.
Peace at Amy Price
In fact, peace at Any Price"
would not be an inaccurate descrip-
ton, except that the peace advo-
Gates and the freedom OF the seas
champions are devoting most of
their attention for the time being to
preserving the ark OF the covenant,
as far as the Constitution and high
nine are concerned, or blazing the
path of progress over a road
smoothed by a fifteen-man court, II
they feel that way about it.
All of which of course is subject to
change, almost without notice. 1t
is just possible that there may come
a week in which there are no de-
velopments in the Supreme court
fight-possible though not probable.
1t is possible that in that week
few fiery speeches by such senator's
as William E. Borah and Hiram w.
Johnson, on the freedom OF the seas
side, may shove perfunctory news
less stories about the high court
situation to inside newspaper pages.
Or that blasts from Senators Nye
and Clark against permitting the
President to take sides in q Euro
pean war by deciding which COM
modities are to be barred from ship
ment in American bottoms will
bring the homefolks up standing.
In short, such a situation would
bring about what everyone expected
to happen before the President
sprang his surprise message about
enlarging the Supreme court. 1t
would produce such storm of pub
lie reaction that the extremists just
might force amendments to make
the act more drastic.
1t is scarcely likely that anything
could happen to swing the measure
the other way-toward giving the
President more discretion-as be-
tween belligerents, for instance,
especially as the entire strength of
the President must be kept on his
very tough fight to get his way in
the court battle. He cannot spare
any steam at the moment for much
else, certainly not for so difficult a
fight as getting more discretion
would be in view OF the extremist
bloc in the senate.
Quezon Popular
Army and navy officers who have
had much contact with Manuel l..
Quezon, Philippine commonwealth
president. either in the days of the
empire" or since, agree that he
is an extraordinarily clever person.
Hence all Predict that he will go
back to the Philippines with the ba-