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Show Merry-Co-Round By DREW PIABSON and ROBERT . ALLEN WASHINGTON For the first time In two years word has gone out very quietly from the White House that the president ha a man definitely def-initely in mind as his possible successor.. The man is Cordell Hull. This does not mean that the president b committing himself. He is being careful not to get out on a limb. ' However, this is definitely the very first time he has even mentioned the name ef a specific candidate. One year ago, in fact, Roosevelt told friends that ha considered Secretary Hull too eld (he is U). Therefor the consideration he i now giving giv-ing Hull is more than significant What the president is doing is throwing out Hull's name to various close advisers and noting; not-ing; their reaction. He has also made some inquiries in-quiries into Hull's background in congress and finds that it was good. The tack which the president is taking Is that Hull is the only man who could get the Support of both the liberal Democrat and the conservatives, such as Senator Glass, Byrd and George. No other candidate, according to Roosevelt' present frame of mind, will be able to (wing both the conservative Democrat and the liberal New Dealers. . Whether he continues to hold this opinion remains to be seen. Some of Roosevelt's advisers ad-visers have told him that the trade, treaties would be a tremendous handicap to Hull in the midwest, and that his age also will be a factor. Also significant is the fact that the inner circle, while not yet counting Roosevelt out for a third term, are by no mean1 so sure of it a they once were. Now they are convinced that Roosevelt really doe not want to be a candidate. candi-date. If Hull (of Tennessee) should head the ticket, a New York candidate for vice president would be a natural, in which case Jim Farley has hi eye definitely on the Job, and it would be tough for the president to refuse him. Inner reports, however, are that Roosevelt would prefer Bob Jackson, Justice Frankfarter Like other members of the supreme court, -Justice Felix Frankfurter ha an imposing private pri-vate office furnished with the elegance and comfort befitting an official of august rank. It has a private shower, large marble fireplace, fire-place, massive furniture upholstered in rich leather, deep rugs and a desk that i a wide expanse of polished mahogany. But unlike his colleagues. Frankfurter doe not us hi omat sanctum. It' too fancy for him. One day he said to Edward F. Pritchard Jr., his brilliant Harvard list clerk, Ed, how about swapping offices with me? You take mine and I'll take yours." "It's okeh with me," grinned Pritchard, "but why?" "Mine Is to ornamental it give me the creeps. It's spooky. Further, it's so elaborate that there isn't enough place for all my books." So Pritchard Is now ensconced in his bosr flossy office; and the Justice, with hi books, is quartered in the modest cosy office of his law clerk minus shower and fireplace. . Justice Frankfurter, whose flair for scintillating scintillat-ing epigrams recalls' the colorful phrases of the late Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, has another habit in common with his predecessor. Like Holme. Frankfurter like to stand while reading, read-ing, and has a lectern in his office for that purpose. Jackaoa Day Dinner Genial big Jim Farley is predicting a se licit li-cit at the 100-a-plate Jackson day dinner in Washington next week. "It can't miss," he explain with a broad smile, "and this is why: All the candidates will be there in order to be mentioned a among those present, also to be on hand in case the president says a certain something they are mighty Interested in. "And all the other boys will com in brder to see what the candidates do if he says that something. Yes, sir, thi is on dinner that will play to a capacity house." Jim personally is convinced that Roosevelt will say nothing about his political plans in his speech. . Diatributed, 1M0, by tJnited Feature Syndicate |