Evening star., 1938-05-11
WASHINGTON OBSERVATIONS
BY FREDERIC WILLIAM WILE

supreme Court Justice Benjamin N.
Cardozo has recovered sufficiently from
his recent serious illness to leave Wash
tngton and take up his residence in
Westchester County, N. Y. There, for
the indefinite future, he will be the
guest of his old friend and long time
associate on the benches of the Empire
State Supreme Court and Court Of Ap-
peals. Judge Irving Lehman, brother
Of Gov. Lehman. Judge and Mrs.
Lehman have placed a whole wing of
their home at Port Chester at Justice
Cardozo's disposal, and The latter is now
domiciled in it with his regular Wash
ington household, including one of his
legal secretaries. While the distin-
guished jurist has triumphed over the
critical phase of the malady that laid
him low, he is still far from being en-
tirely well His friends expect he may
find it advisable to indulge in a pro-
longed leave from Supreme Court duties,
perhaps even beyond the next fall term.
Justice Cardozo, who is respected by
several Of his colleagues as perhaps the
finest mind now on the high bench, is
only 68 years old. AS he is therefore not
yet eligible to the retirement emoluments
voted by Congress last year, there have
been suggestions from some Of his
friends that a special act should be
passed, in case he cares to leave the
court before reaching 10, to give him the
full benefits Of the new statute.
One of the few New Deal developments
as to which little or no difference of
opinion exists Is the rise of my little
son Jimmie" Roosevelt in political and
official stature. On Capitol Hill the
Presidents son has come to be regarded
the most potent man in the entire ex-
ecutive set-up with the single exception
of F. D. r. himself. Not even Jack
Garner, or any member Of the cabinet,
nowadays rank with the statuescue
young heir-apparent in prestige and
authority, where administration affairs
are concerned. Together with his father
and mother, James beyond all shadow of
doubt Is member of the Big Three
who are considered at present to be
steering and commanding the ship Of
state. That he's headed for q national
career of his own is about as certain as
anything in politics can be. With a def
mite flair for the game, plus paternal
ut" and eloquence, the crown prince
has plenty of what it takes for sue
cessful public service. Whether Jimmie
will first tempt fate by running for
State office in Massachusetts, or for
Congress, or pursue fame in some Fed
eral capacity at Washington remains
his own secret.
One of the most picturesque products
OF the American melting pot is in Wash
ington as a delegate to the B'nai Birth
convention-Sol Levitan, State treasurer
OF Wisconsin. Native of East Prussia,
"Old SOL" as two generations of Wis
consin voters have affectionately called
him, came to the United States as boy
nearly go years ago, began life as a
peddler and farm hand. and made
fortune as banker. Early identified
with the cause of Fighting Bob" La
Toilette, Levitap was elected State treas
urer at Madison in 1922, and reelected
four times. He went down with the
Progressives in the Roosevelt landslide
of 1882, but was triumphantly returned
to his old job as chancellor of the Badger
exchequer in 1886. At 76, "Old Sol' is
hale and hearty, and addressed public
meetings in Washington with the vigor
of man 80 years his junior.
Representative Mary T. Norton, DEM
ocrat, of New Jersey, the spearhead Of
the wage-and-hour bill in the House,
celebrated petition day" last week with
q daub Of upstick. The chairman of
the House Labor Committee has not
been addicted hitherto to lip rouge, but