Evening star., 1939-12-02

but rather G. Gould Lincoln.
whether Mr.. Murphy is too valuable
an executive officer of the Govern
ment to translate to the bench. Tht
Attorney General has had a Ions
career as a public servant in i'm.
portant Office, although he is now
only As years old. And the ques-
ton is whether his wide experience
cannot be used to better advantage
in the active hurry burly of law
making and law administration
rather than in the Interpretation OF
the law.
Doubtless also the President will
consult Mr.. Murphy and learn in
which direction his own ambitions
lie-whether he would prefer to re-
main in his present Office or 60 on
the bench
When Frank Murphy at the age
of 26 left the Army at the close OF
the World War, he was Immediately
catapulted into active peacetime
public service as an assistant dis
trict attorney in Detroit. He has
been in such service continuously
ever since. One year, from 1916 to
1917, he engaged in the private prac-
tice of law in his home city, De-
troit, after he had finished his legal
education with postgraduate work
at Lincoln's, Inn, in London and
Trinity College, Dublin. When the
United States entered the war, he
entered the officers training camp
at Fort Sheridan, became first
lieutenant of infantry at the con-
clusion of the training, and cap
tain of infantry before he was
mustered out, having served over
seas.
Obtained Convictions.
He was selected, in the United
States district attorneys Office to
prosecute a group of businessmen
who had corruptly obtained $780,
100000 worth of surplus Army sup
plies for little more than s500,000.
He got convictions all down the line.
That was his first big cleaning up
job. In 1923 he became judge of the
Recorders Court in Detroit and
held that Office for six years, until
he was elected Mayor. The city
government was in terrible straits
when he took over In 1888 he re-
signed as Mayor of Detroit to ac-
cept appointment as Governor Gen
eral of the Philippines. 1t was while
he was in the islands that the
transition took place, the Philippines
setting up, with the acquiescence of
the United States, government
of their own. Mr. Murphy became
the first United States high COM
missioner there, a job which he re-
linquished when was elected Gov
ernor of Michigan in 1886
Always intent on the bettering of
governmental conditions, Mr.. Murphy
as Governor of Michigan set up the
finest executive machine in all its
parts the State has seen. He had
his troubles with the C. I. o. and it's
sit-down strikes in Michigan and in
the end he brought the strikes to an
end without bloodshed. There had
been number of sit-down strikes in
Michigan before he was inaugurated
Governor-which is sometimes over
looked-and very little had been
done about them by his predecessor
No Sympathy With Sit-Downs.
The Attorney General has no SYM
pathy with sit-down strikes and
never did have. No more does he
look with favor on the newer SLOW
down" strikes, which are more in
Sidious than the old sit-downs. But
the labor troubles in 1887 in Mich
igan turned the State against the
State administration and New Deal
ers generally. In consequence, Mr..
Murphy was defeated for reelection
in 1888, although even some of his
opponents admitted he had given the
State an excellent government.
The first of the year, President
Roosevelt called Mr.. Murphy to
Washington and named him Attor-
ney General to succeed Homer S.
Cummings, who had resigned. Under
the direction of Mr.. Murphy the
of Justice has been re-
many new and able United
States District and Circuit Court
judges have been recommended and
by the President, and the
has embarked on series
of important trials to break down
corruption in various parts of the
country. The Pendergast machine
has been smashed in Kansas City,
where TON" Pendergast, the boss,
has been placed behind the bars.
The Department of Justice tackled
the corrupt mess in Louisiana, left
by the late Senator Huey Long, and
and convictions have
rolled up. The department has moved
swiftly and strongly against Moe
and his race track wire
services.
Ace Trouble Shooter.
Mr. Murphy has been an ace
trouble shooter for city, State and
Federal governments. He is still a
young man, and there are still many
problems of. Government, many
problems of improved conditions for
the American people. If he should
be appointed to the supreme bench,
his active service as an executive
ceases. He has, it is said, no desire
to leave Government service and
enter private employment. He could
have done so when he ceased to be
with huge salary which
was offered him by large corpora
ton. But he declined.
Admittedly his wide experience
as an executive, meeting modern
problems and learning about the
economic conditions Of the day,
would prove of great value to him
as a member of the Supreme Court.
In his executive positions he has