Evening star., 1949-07-29
Clark
Continued From First Page.)

Continued From First Page)
with his family and friends in
Rhode Island this week end before
making a decision. If he resigns
from the Senate to enter the
cabinet, his successor. who would
serve until a special election lin
1850 would be named by DEM
ocratic Gov. John o. Pastore OF
Rhode Island. Senator McGrath S
term runs through 1852.
Likely to Quit Party Post.
While Senator McGrath said nc
decision would be made about re-
tanning the Democratic national
chairmanship until he settled the
question of entering the cabinet
friends said he would give up the
party post.
! In that event. the way would be
open for the Craftsmanship to &c
to the executive vice chairman
William M. Boyle. jr.. of Kansas
City, an old friend of President
Truman.
The President told his news con-
ference to do their own speculat-
ing on that.
There was an element of sur
prise in the selections, which
were made known unexpectedly
1nasmuch as reporters had been
told at the White House Monday
that there would be nothing done
about the court vacancy this
week.
While Efr. Clark had been rec.
ognized as a leading prospect fol
the bench. there was a feeling in
some quarters that MI. Truman
would follow precedent of more
than so years and keep Catholic
on the court. Justice Murphy was
member of that faith.
Mr.. Clark is a Presbyterian and
Mason. When reporter wanted
to know if the President did not
feel that there should be a men,
Der of the majority and minority
faiths on the Supreme Court,
Mr.. Truman quickly responded
that he didn't believe religion hac
any part in making up the tri.
bunal and that is was judicia
ability he was considering.
The President. a Baptist. sale
that, if a man was qualified, HI
would pay no attention to whether
he was Catholic, Jew or Baptist
j Senator McGrath, among thos'
figuring in the court speculation
is Catholic. He would be tn,
second member of that faith il
the Cabinet. Secretary of Labol
Tobin is the other.
While disappointed that Sena.
tor McGrath didn't get the court
post, some of his friends seem.
ingly agreed with the President
viewpoint on the religious angle
They said they felt it a gooc
thing when appointments to high
office did not settle into a groove
where a member of one faith
could always be expected to sue
ceed another member of that
faith.
In informed quarters, too, the
impression was gained that a
Catholic appointee could be ex-
pected in event of another court
vacancy. with Senator McGrath
figuring strongly for the place.
In proposing to elevate his 49,
year-old Attorney General to the
Supreme Court, President Truman
chose an ardent supporter, and g
man whose political philosophy
squares largely with his own.
Fought for Truman.
Mr.. Clark, a Texan by birth
was preconvention Trumanite
fought for Mr.. Truman during the
campaign and has gone down the
line with the President on the civi
rights issue. which cost the Dem.
ocratic Party dearly in the South
In his four years as Attorney
General, Mr.. Clark has kept colo
eye on "big business" and only
recently climaxed a policy of Wig.
orously invoking the antitrust
laws.agains "monopolies" by filing
suit to break up the alliance be.
tween the Du Points, General Mo.
tors and United States Rubber.
The Attorney General also fig.
llred rrominentlv in tho r,ou,e IL