Evening star., 1937-05-17
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM VILE.

President Roosevelt's refusal to bulge
an inch on the Supreme Court PROPOSE
ton assures political battle royal. Ger
tainly no White House-Congress feud to
equal it has ragged since the League of
Nations knockdown and dragout between
Woodrow Wilson and the Senate Be-
fore the smoke of battle clears away, the
fray is likely to take rank with the
f1ercest struggles American Presidents
have ever Waged with the legislative
branch. Passions on both sides are al
ready at the boiling point. They're not
likely to simmer down with the lapse of
time F. D. R. has manifestly come home
in full war paint. Opponents Of court
packing are no less belligerent. It hasn't
been disclosed to just what extent Sen
ator Joe Robinson acquainted Mr.. Roose-
welt with the fisticuf1s of the situation,
but the ArkanSans admission, on leaving
the executive Offices, that there is only "a
fair prospect" of the judiciary bills pass
age, pretty clearly suggests that the ma
jority leader minced no words in por-
traying the dimensions and intensity of
the revolt against it.
Politicians are compelled to believe that
the President accepts at face value Jim
Farley's persistent claim that I'VE have
the votes" Otherwise, they cannot ac
count for Mr.. Roosevelt's stubborn un-
willingness to consider any yielding. The
Postmaster General continues to indi-
cate that the high command expects
Democratic Senators, in a spirit of party
loyalty, not to leave Mr. Roosevelt in
the lurch. Nobody doubts that the whip
will be cracked relentlessly from now on,
with view to bringing both opposition
and wavering legislators into line. Many
of them shortly must face the guns in
denomination primaries. They are vir-
tually on notice to toe the mark on the
court tssue-or else! Nor is there any
lack Of hints that all the arts and powers
of patronage and legislative trading will
be invoked to avert defeat Of the judi
ciary bill and crushing rebuke for the
administration. The President is sea-
soned and resourceful political matador
in such q crisis. The moment Is not far
distant when he'll have to reveal his
strategy for the decisive battle of the
New Deal.
Despite the fact that the mo sur
render signal has been hoisted at the
White House, more than one authority
is convinced that Mr.. Roosevelt may yet
be persuaded that compromise is the part
Of wisdom. In the event he should
finally be induced to accept half loaf
rather than no Supreme Court bread at
all, the guess is hazarded that the peril
Of fatal split In the Democratic party
will be the clinching argument. That a
breach is In the off1ng as wide as the
one that tore Democrats asunder during
Bryan silver days is acknowledged on
all hands. Even If some of the insurgents
return to the fold when the court issue
is out Of the way, things have been done
and said in the course of the vendetta
that bode no good for harmony in the
congressional campaign Of 1888 or the
presidential contest of 1940
Another little difference prevailing be-
tween the administration and Congress
is In the realm of Latin-American trade
affairs. It concerns the desire OF the
President and Secretary Hull for ratifi-
cation Of the sanitary convention provtd-
ing for importation into this country OF
Argentine live stock from areas certified
% not infected with hoo1 and mouth