Evening star., 1941-09-07
Biddle Faces Difficult Task
New Attorney General With Hysteria Infringing Rights
"

the Pennsylvania Railroad.
In April of 1918 he had married Kath-
crime Garrison Chaplin of an old New
York family. Writing under her own
name, Mrs. Biddle has won a distinguish
ed reputation as poet. Sensitive, coura-
geous, with great warmth and charm,
she has been one of the chief influences
In her husbands life. They have many
interests in common, both preferring a
simple and informal way of living. Pos
,sibly due to his wifes influence Biddle
turned author and in 1927 published his
first and only novel, "Llanfear Pattern"
which has autobiogra aphical overtones.
Labor Board Chairman.
In 1884 he was first summoned to
Washington. President Roosevelt asked
him to take the Craftsmanship Of the
National Labor Relations Board during
a trying, transition period. He fol-
lowed in that post Lloyd Garrison, one
of his wife's distant cousins After less
than year Biddle resigned with praise
from the President for the improvement
he had brought about in the status of
the Labor Board.
Three years later he was chosen, de-
spite the protest Of some Republicans
to be the impartial counsel of the Sen
ate committee named to investigate the
Tennessee Valley Authority. This was a
job requiring, as the Labor Board as
signment had, finesse and f1rmness
Arthur Morgan, ousted T. v. A. chair
casting doubt on the whole T. v. A. ex-
pertinent. The job also called for hard
slogging effort. Weeks on end, night and
day, Biddle labored through mass OF
material, preparing for the public hear
ings. Carefully winnowing anything
that might even remotely be considered
evidence, the committee disproved most
Of the charges and Biddle came out with
honors.
He was rewarded by President Roose-
velt year later by appointment to q
judgeship on the Third Circuit Court OF
Appeals, which sits at Philadelphia. Be-
ing a Judge, Biddle discovered, was very
dull business. Essentially an eXtrovert
always active, he could scarcely tolerate
the cloiStered judicial life. To many mer
such an appointment would have seemed
the ultimate and wholly satisfying goal
Fifty-three at the time of his nomina-
ton to be judge, Biddle decided that
he was not yet ready for the semi-re-
tirement of the bench.
Made Solicitor General
Having once named a man to such g
life position, however, the President nat.
urally tends to put him out of mind. Ir
helping to restore him to an active
career, Biddles friend Frankfurter per.
formed a delicate rescue operation
bringing him again to the notice of thu
White House. In January OF 1910, the
President named Biddle solicitor general
This is the officer, next in rank to the
Attorney General, who actually con-
ducts the legal business of the United
States.
In this Office, too Biddle followed Jack
son. which was something of handi-
cap. since the latter was regarded by
many as the most distinguished Solicitor
General in the Nations history. Biddle
by temperament and inclination, leans
more toward the administrative side OF
the law and in his new job he will have
ample outlet for his abilities. The De-
partment of Justice is far-flung insti-
tuition with thousands of employees.
A variety of administrative problems
are constantly arising. Most of his
predecessors have found it difficult to
cope with the zeal of j. Edgar Hoover,
head of the Federal Bureau of Investi-
CATION. That question was raised during
the hearings on Biddle's nomination,
with leftists charging that Hoover tapped
the telephone wires of Harry Bridges,
head of the International Longshoremen
and Warehousemen's Union.
Man Of Strong Loyalties.
The new Attorney General is a man of
strong loyalties. Throughout his career
Thomas G. Corcoran, the brain truster
who resigned his Government post to
make large fees in private practice in
Washington. Thereby Corcoran has
brought down on himself criticism from
his former collaborators, including, it is
said, Frankfurter himself. Nevertheless,
Biddle remains loyal to Tommy the Cork
and possibly would even like to see him
(See BIDDLE, Page C-3)