Evening star., 1939-11-19
Washington: Nerve Center
By EdDdrd ROSSkam. Neu
York.: Alliance Book Corp.

OTE. ALalnce BOOK corp.
In this interesting and, at times,
flippant volume, one of the Face
of America" series, the author is
unable to resist the temptation to
use giorified guide book as the
vehicle for much ill-concealed New
Deal propaganda.
One of the jacket flaps of the
rather thinnish volume explains:
This book intends to show in
picture and in word the function
of the National Capital as it reaches
into every farm, town, home and
life -. 1t tells, also, the tale of
the Washington the Washingtonian
knows, the tale of the city whose
business is government. And for
good measure, it includes, as well,
the sights you are supposed to see"
AS for showing the function Of
the Capital, it does, and interest,"
ingly, taking the reader through the
maze of governmental function by
means of simple words and a
plethora of pictures. Even the most
casual reader must wind up with
some sort of understanding of the
governmental functions.
But when the Supreme Court is
taken up, comes this:
On the bronze flagpole in front
Of the new building, Justice is a
lovely child with large sword and
a small scale. 1t should have been
an old man. More appropriate are
the many bronze turtles used fire.
quently in the decorative design.
Most appropriate is the inscription
beneath the frieze:
Equal Justice Under Law
Notice the redundance of the
word equal, coupled with the word
Justice; it is typical of court Ian
guage. Can justice be anything but
equal? Notice the restriction i'm
posed even upon a symbolic inscrip-
ton - Under Law
rs law not meant to be the In
strument of justice? A law which
is not just or which-because of
changing times and changing condi-
tions-has come to be unjust has no
business to remain in force. But,
as the inscription states, the func-
ton Of the Supreme Court is law
first, as the determinant, and jus
tlce only in so far as it fits within
this framework.
"A great deal depends on the
membership of the court. The Con-
stitution is written vaguely enough
to allow several interpretations.
Liberal Supreme Courts interpret
it broadly; courts with conserva-
tive majority prefer strict construc-
ton. Age brings conservatism; Su-
preme Court justices are no excep-
ton"
The reader may wonder at this
point if Mr.. Rosskam ever heard
of thing called the constitutional
amendment.
AS for the Washington that WASH
ingtonians know:
There are the cliff dwellers,
those original Washingtonian So
cieties who are so genuine that,
like the British crown jewels or the
Cabots of Boston, they are taken on
faith rather than on sight"
Generally, Mr.. Rosskam hits the
nail on the head when it comes
to portraying Washingtons private
life. His aim is extremely poor,
however, when it comes to a con-
sideration of votes and representa-
ton
1--WE own three major territories
outside the Continental United
States-Hawaii, Puerto Rico and
Alaska. The inhabitants of these
three places are citizens, subject to
military service, congressional legis-
lation and taxation. They are rep
resented in Washington only by
non-voting resident commissioners. "
No mention whatever of Wash
ington's status in this respect.
But Mr.. Rosskam has managed to
turn out a very interesting volume,
the larger part of which is genu-
inely instructive. In it pictures and
words complement rather than sup
plement each other in what might
be called the "photoverbic" style, to
coin a word.
And as for the propaganda, lot
of it is worthwhile and should
have a beneficial effect on the
reader.
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt, in an
introduction, is very complimentary.
r. K. II.