In Adversity

Franklin Roosevelt last week suffered the worst defeat that he has met since entering the White House. Defeat could hardly have stung so much even on that November morning 17 years ago when he awoke to find that nearly two Americans out of three preferred Calvin Coolidge to Franklin Roosevelt for Vice President--or at least Harding to Cox for President. This stung partly because he was now used to victory, partly because ill-advised advisers had kept him, to the last, confident of victory. Even when Vice President Garner convinced him that his Court Bill was beaten, he expected to have his face saved by having the Bill quietly relegated to committee for emasculation without the public being let in on the details (see p. 11).

Naturally Franklin Roosevelt was angry and irritable. He barked orders at his private secretariat and in the confines of the Executive Offices made no secret of his intense resentment, but 24 hours after his defeat he had himself well under control when he met his regular press conference. As cheerful as usual, he delivered a homily on the Court situation, undertaking to look at it in historical perspective.

The Supreme Court had invaded the legislative field. The Court reform proposal had, for the time being at least, forced it to retreat. Something had been accomplished. If it should prove temporary, something more would certainly have to be done.

When he finished, some newshawks rushed eagerly to ask White House Stenographer Henry Kannee whether they had heard correctly. Had the President really called the Justices of the Supreme Court morons? Mr. Kannee turned to his transcript and read the President's words: "Their decisions were more on legislative lines than judicial." Enlightened, the newshawks rushed off truthfully to tell the world that Franklin Roosevelt had spoken without acrimony, that in spite of the defeat of his bill he appeared well content.

Many a politician in Washington, including some of Franklin Roosevelt's loyal friends, privately expressed themselves as more than content at his defeat. It would, they thought, make him examine his plans more carefully, lay out his legislative programs with more caution and most important, might prevent him from deciding lightly to run for a third term--a move which, successful or not, could hardly fail to cause a furor as perilous as that over the Court Bill. P: Much water has flowed under Brooklyn Bridge since that day five years ago when James J. Walker threw up his job as

Mayor of New York rather than have Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt throw him out of it. On trial for his political life, pestered with questions about where he got his money, jaunty Jimmy exiled himself in Europe after thumbing his nose at Mr. Roosevelt and storming: "He has been studiously unfair. . . . He has acted as a prosecutor. . . . Shall I permit myself to be lynched to satisfy prejudice or personal ambition?" Last week Franklin D. Roosevelt and Jimmy Walker faced each other again. Mr. & Mrs. Walker paid a call at the White House (see cut). Ostensibly Jimmy went as lawyer-lobbyist for a long-projected "57th Street Bridge," which would connect New Jersey with Manhattan's 62nd Street. Outside the White House, Citizen Walker said, "[We were greeted] as cordially as anybody could expect to be greeted by the President."

P: Having long since proved himself Radio's No. 1 drawing card, handsome Franklin D. Roosevelt last week put in a plug for television. For the opening of NBC's new Washington studios he wrote: "It is not within the province of reactionaries to put obstacles in the way of orderly development. . . . Indeed it may not be long before radio will make it possible for us to visualize at the breakfast table the front pages of daily newspapers or news reports. . . ."

P: "Woodson & Watson" will read the battery of Presidential service aides next fall when Captain Walter B. Woodson, lately chief of staff & aide, Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Fleet, becomes Naval Aide, joining Military Aide Edwin M. Watson. His shore duty up, Naval Aide Paul H. Bastedo takes command of the U.S.S. Qnincy.

P: To be U. S. Consul in Geneva and third woman in the Foreign Service, the President appointed Margaret M. Hanna, 41 years a clerk and minor official in the State Department. Secretary Hull was still playing chess with his Department. Having recently consolidated his Eastern and Western European Divisions into one Division of European Affairs, he called in as new chief, J. Pierrepont Moffat, son-in-law of Ambassador to Japan Joseph Clark Grew, from his Consulate at Sydney. For James Clement Dunn was created an important new post, adviser on political relations.

P: To the Commissionership of Immigration, vacant since Daniel W. MacCormack died last January, the President appointed his cousin Laura Delano's husband, James Lawrence Houghteling, onetime vice president and treasurer of the Chicago Daily News.

For week-end guests on the Potomac, the President chose three Possibilities for 1940: Senate Leader Barkley (see p. 10) and two Progressive La Follette Brothers, Senator Robert and Wisconsin's Governor Philip.

-The others: Second Secretary of Embassy Frances Elizabeth Willis in Brussels, Vice-Consul Constance Ray Harvey in Milan. Mrs. J. Borden ("Daisy") Harriman, Minister to Norway, is a political appointee.

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