Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-06-07
ChoiceofVinson
Seen as Bid for
Court HARMONY
COP and New Deal
Criticism Is Slight
Confirmation Hurdle
BY Joseph A. Fox

Kentuckian, whose judicial phil
osophy is described by former
associates on the Federal bench
as "a little to the right of center"
is to be the 18th Chief Justice of
the United States.
Making an appointment that was
viewed generally as being dictated
largely by the desire to get har-
mony in the Supreme Court, Presi-
dent Truman announced unexpect-
edly to a late afternoon news con-
ference yesterday that Mr.. Vinson,
Secretary of the Treasury for the
past year, was his selection to sue
coed the late Harlan Fiske Stone.
The cabinet post vacated by MI.
Vinson goes to John w. Snyder, dl-
rector of war mobilization and re-
conversion, whose Office is to be ter
minated.
Sullivan Is Nominated.
Rounding out a slate of surprises
which the President said had been
decided on only within the previous
hour and a half, was the nominal
ton of John l.. Sullivan, Assistant
Secretary of the Navy for Air, to be
Undersecretary
The Vinson and Snyder selections
for two of the highest posts in the
land came in for considerable criti-
cism from Republicans and pro-
labor, New Deal Democrats, but
none indicated an immediate dis
position to fight confirmation.
The three appointees must be con-
f1rmed by the Senate, which received
the nominations shortly after Mr.,
Humans announcement.
There will be no difficulty" Sena-
tor johnson, Democrat, of Colorado
told reporters, and that view was
echoed elsewhere.
Secretary Vinson, who went to the
cabinet after long service in the
House, on the Court of Appeals here,
and as director of economic stabi-
lization. Federal loan administra-
tor and director of war mobiliza-
ton and reconversion, was dark
horse court appointee, although he
has figured recurrently in specula-
ton since Chief Justice Stone died
April %.
AS late as last Friday, the Presi-
dent told a news conference that
Mr.. Vinson was not under conSid-
Grafton for the court or the presi-
dency of the world bank, another
post with which his name had been
linked.
AS neWsmen clustered around his
desk at o'clock yesterday after
noon, the President abruptly an
nounced the appointments, and told
a questioner that he had just de-.
cided on them. Mr.. Snyder was
present at the time, and Secretary
Vinson shortly came over from the
Treasury to pose with the President
and his successor for photographers.
Third from Kentucky.
Mr.. Vinson will be the third Ken
tucky-born court member, Associate
Justices Stanley F. Reed and Wiley
B. Rutledge being the others. He
also is the second Treasury Sec
rotary to be named Chief Justice,
Roger B. fancy of Maryland, au-
thor of the bred Scott decision, fol-
lowing the same path in the Jack
son administration. The appoint
ment raises the Democratic ma
jority in the court to 81.
Until the appointment was an
nounced, there was some thought
that the place might 60 to one of
the present members of the tri-
bunal, and in this connection, the
names of Associate Justices Robert
H. Jackson and William o. Douglas
were heard most often.
1t was understood authoritatively
right after the death of Chief JUS
tice Stone that Mr.. Truman pro-
posed to promote one of the associ-
ate justices, but published reports
to this effect revived the stories of
the animosities that have been
manifest within the court in recent
years, and the President undoubtedly
took cognizance of the situation in
making his choice from the outside.
The President also is presumed to
have obtained an accurate report on
conditions within the court in con-
versations with former Chief Justice
Hughes and Associate Justice Owen
j. Roberts, who were called to the
White House shortly after the Stone
death.
Justice Jackson Absent.
Until the death of Chief Justice
Stone, the court was sitting with
eight members, due to the absence
in Germany of Justice Jackson, chief
American prosecutor of Nazi war
criminals. Split decisions have been
rendered in about go per cent of the
cases since october, and the division
in the court has been so pronounced
that approximately a score of cases
have gone over to the next term for
reargument because the eight men,
bers were deadlocked.
Mr.. Vinson, New Dealer, but not
an extremist, who has been recog-
nized as an able, tough-minded ad-
ministrator, will have the task, as
(see APPOINTMENTS, Page A-5J