The Waterbury Democrat., 1937-04-08

tutional Amendment to the next six months.
 The six months time-limit is Wf1eelef's answer to Roosevelt's argument that a constitutional amendment takes too long and that the country must act NOW. Wheeler says congress could specify that states must vote within a six months period.
 But in the files of the Justice Department are three opinions by previous attorney generals as to whether 8 time limit on Consti- tutional amendment is constitu- tional.
 ONE comes from William D. Mitchell, attorney general under Hoover. Mitchell, although he did not belong to Senator Wheel er's political party, was an ex- cellent attorney general.
 ANOTHER comes from George E. WickerSham, who served under Taft and who, although not of Wheeler's political faith, was also 8 good attorney general.
 Both Mitchell and Wickersham ruled that a time limit for con- !. stitutoinal amendments was un- constitutional. You could not rush changes in hte Constitution.
 THE THIRD comes from, A. ; Mitchell Palmer, who served t1rl- der Woodrow Wilson and who, al- though of Wheeler's political party, was generally rated as one of the worst attorney generals in recent history. He ruled that the time limit was constitutional. Eastman Mystery
 For more than three months a red-hot story has been dangling unnoticed before the eyes of the capital. It is the fact that Joe seph B. Eastman, once czar of the railroads, now is no longer even 8 member of the Interstate Com merce Commission.
 To get the importance of this, remember that Joe Eastman has been serving on the ICC ever since Woodrow Wilson appointed him in 1919. Under strong congress siona1 pressure, Coolidge and Hoover gave him reappointments.
 I'm the eighteen subsequent years, Eastman came to be one of the outstanding authorities in the railroad field. Although a Staunch liberal and frank ad- vocate of government rail own ership. he has not hesitated to crack down on labor as we'll as management. Neither has he baked at speaking his mind to his fellow commissioners, all but 8 few of whom are medic ocrities.
 When the New Deal came into office, Eastman became RooSe- velt's No. l railroad adviser. When congress established the position of Railroad Coordinator, in the hope of accelerating railway con- solicitations, Roosevelt gave East man the job.
 Eastman,s term of office ex- ,pired December s3l. In some strange manner not only did this escape public notice but so did the even more extraordinary fact thatt he President did not reap- point him.
 Two Explanations
 Eastman has remained in Wash ington, gone daily to his desk whcih may explain why his of ficial demise has escaped atten- tion.
 He has no explanation for the apparent rebuff. Early last win- ter the President offered him the chairmanship of the. Maritime Commission, but Eastman declined the job on the ground that his interest was in railroads, not ships.
 From administration quarters come two explanations for the mysterious situation:
 .EaStmah's friends say the President plans to make him one of the six young men on the re0rganized Supreme Court.
 Eastman'S enemies say R0oSe- welt is secretly disciplining the ex-rail czar for his OutspOIxen criticism of the Administration reorganization program. Speak ing before the Boston Cham Der of Commerce, several months ago, Eastman sharply asSailed one of Roosevelt's pet re-or- ganization plans placing, the ICC, and the other independent agencies, undner the domination of regular departments.
 Either explanation may be right. But the President is aw-f fully sensitive about members of his own official family who cri- ticize him. Radio Investigation
 It It looks like sure-fire cer- tainty that 8 congressional inyes- tigation of the big radio chains will go through this session.
 Most immediate reason is that dynamic little Rep. Connery of Massachusetts, who has intro duced a resolution for an inves- tigatoin, and John O'Connor of OFF THE RECORD
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