Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1951-09-30
Supreme Court
Tomorrow's the Day When High Tribunal
Storts Another Hord-to-Guess Cycle
By John Gerrity

Tomorrow. promptly at noon. the
162d year oof the United States
Supreme Court will begin.
Through the dark red Grapes be-
hind the bench will step Chief Justice
Frederick Moore Vinson, a sad-eyed
man whose face is a shadow of past
smiles, to take his seat. Before the
traditional chant of the court crier--
1.-THE honorable. the Supreme Court
is now sitting r.. has died away,
Chief Justice Vinson will have no
ticed privately that little has changed
since last year.
For a moment Mr.. Vinson may in
spect his domain, taking a quick
look at the 316 guests and lawyers
wedged into the straight backed,
pewlike benches. His eyes may
drift to the walls, covered with
panels depicting, Divine Inspira-
ton" Powers of Evil" Defense of
Virtue" with lingerging and hope
full glance at the last-"Harmony.
Mr.. Vinson may also pause long
enough to note that the acoustics are
poor as ever, and that talk Of
public address system is still only
talk.
Then to the bench, in something
akin to an orderly manner, will
parade some 40 or SO lawyers-proud
possessorS of three years of legal ex-
perience and $25-to be admitted to
the highest court of the land. A few
other niceties, dictated by juridical
protocol, then the first sitting of the
October term will have ended. And
the work starts.
Docket of 500 Coses
Held over from last term are some
100 or 140 cases. These, plus those
filed during the summer, add up to
more than 500 on the appellate and
miscellaneous docketS. OF these, not
one now even brushes politically
controversial issue.
Once every four terms-the one
preceding a presidential election year
the court gets a chance to come
down from its Olympian heights to
remind the citizenry that it serves
them as we'll as it does history. On
the dockets there is no case compare
BILE to that of the IL Communists.
Nor is there any serious dispute in
sight over that dependable standby.
the Taft-Hartley law. AS the term
progresses, case producing imme-
diate political repercussions may arise,
but now there is none.
OF those listed for hearing per-
hapS, the most outstanding from the
aspect of notoriety is that of Judith
Coplon, former Justice Department
employe. Tried in the District Court
on charges of espionage and con-
spiracy, her conviction was reversed
by the United States Court of Ap-
peals. In ordering new trial the
Court of Appeals Git stated, Incl
dentally. that "her guilt is plain")
held that Miss Coplin was entitled
to know if the initial clue leading to
her arrest was derived by wire tap
ping.
Coses of National Interest
Other cases of national interest,
and possibly local interest, due to be
heard some time during this term
are:
Adler ct al v. the Board of Edu-
cation Of the City of New York. A
test Of the Feinberg law which pro-
hibits any person who is a member
of subversive organization from
teaching in the New York public
schools.
Lorain Journal Co. VS.. United States.
An alleged violation of the Sherman
Antitrust Act. The Lorain Journal
of Lorain, Ohio, refused to accept
advertising from local merchants who
used the local radio station to adver-
tise their products; an action which
might constitute a monopoly.
Land ct al. VS.. Dollar ct al. An
action to compel the United States
Maritime Commission to return the
controlling stock of the Dollar Line
to the steamship company, which
insists it pledged, ratherathan trans
ferred, the stock to the Government.
This is the case involving Secretary
of Commerce Charles Sawyer, who
was threatened with jail sentence
for refusing to obey the District
Courts order to return the stock.
Harry Briggs ct al. VS.. r.. w. Elliott.
A school segregation case. A group
of Negro children of Clarendon Coun-
ty. S. c., who claimed that the 14th
amendment was violated when
they were forced TO attend schools
inferior to those provided for white
children.
Beauharnais v. the State of Illinois.
A freedom of speech case. Mr.. Beau
harnais distributed pamphlets. held
to be libelous, urging readers ito