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Show COURT REVISION CLIMAUOOMS WASHINGTON, July 17 (UP) Showdown In the senate on Judiciary Ju-diciary reorganisation with the chances about even for and against passage was a possibility which today maintained hope that con-grass con-grass may yet avoid an all-summer session. standstill. Close to a majority of senators and a large house delegation dele-gation are aboard the funeral train of Senator Joseph T, Robinson, the Democratic majority leader, which left Washington last night. The congress will not be wholly under way sgain until after the senate Democratic caucus on July 21 to select a new leader. The direction in which the senate will proceed from that point is uncertain. uncer-tain. Adjournment Feared The facts appear to be that the administration was apprehensive yesterday because of symptoms of a congressional bolt-for-home in which the court bill would have been disposed of by summary re-Urement re-Urement to the-Tiles-of i senate committee. remaps more important il jess dramatio than the majority leader's sudden passing was Monday's speech by Chairman Hatton W. Sumners of ths house judiciary committee. com-mittee. His pledge to lock the court bill In his committee room and to surrender the key only in response to a demand by membership of the house itself was a real challenge to Roosevelt plans. Neither side In the court controversy con-troversy is comfortably certain of what is going to happen.' Observers point to a notable weakness in the position of Mr. Roosevelt's opponents oppo-nents in their disposition to refuse to permit the bill to come to a vote. It is argued that it the anti-Roosevelt anti-Roosevelt group hsd the votes to win they would be pushing for a showdown. The administration consistently has taken the position that a roll-call roll-call would be welcome any time. Close Vote Likely ' Best Information Is that ths roll-call roll-call will be very close and that a shift of three er four votes either way would changs ths result. Some of ths Democrats opposing ths president pres-ident Insist they will remsin here until winter to prevent Its enactment. enact-ment. But others have less liking for a protracted session, and among them are senators who believe the Issue can be brought to senate judgment judg-ment this month. Mr. Roosevelt has notified congress con-gress that its duty is to enact judiciary ju-diciary reorganisation legislation attaining at-taining White House objectives, but by methods which congress may devise on its own, if It desires, and which Mr. Roosevelt will accept, provided the objectives are accomplished accom-plished in fulL Those instructions transmitted to congress in a letter to Senator Al-ben Al-ben W. Berkley (D., Ky ), added to the fury of congressionsl antagonisms antag-onisms in ' which ths court issue already was involved. Beyond that, the White House letter stirred new feeling on the question of election of a Democratic leader to succeed Robinson. Storm Over White House Thunderclaps of this latter storm echoed over the White House yesterdsy yes-terdsy and Mr. Roosevelt acted quickly to minimiss the emphasis which his letter appeared to place upon Berkley as the administration favorite to succeed Robinson. The president summoned several of his advisers, and conferred with Senator Pat Harrison (D, Miss.), who Is the moderate or conservative conserva-tive candidate for leader In contrast con-trast to Berkley, who is unqualifiedly unquali-fiedly Nsw Deal. Harrison emerged from the White House with ths announcement that Mr. Roosevelt had said he would take no part In the senate's selection selec-tion of a leader, implying that the uniform Interpretation of his letter as a boost for Berkley was un- -warranted. The leadership squabble runs almost al-most parallel now with the senate court dispute. The alignment is not precise, but In general the Democrats Dem-ocrats who oppose President Roosevelt Roose-velt on the court will vote for Harrison Har-rison and those supporting the president pres-ident will vote for Barkley. There are a few exceptions to that on either side. |
