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oe = mii sa HME: POINTMENTS TO THE CUURT : The President's choice of Harlan F. ! Stone as Chief Justice of the United Btates, to succeed Mr. Hughes, is a fine appointment which will maintain the prestige and dignity of the Court, A Chief Justice has, like each of his col- leagues, only one vote. He does have a function in seeing to it that the Court operates smoothly. and expeditiously, | Beyond that, his position gives him an ‘| influence which is not written into any inw or any clause in the Constitution. ‘| Though President Roosevelt's nomina- tion of Justice Stone to head the Court ‘| may not affect the voting on any future ‘| decision, it properly recognizes unique “| qualities of learning, intelligence and ‘! leadership. It is high praise to predict that Mr. Stone will rise to the stature of Charles Evana Hughes, but every line in his record, as a teacher, as a private practitioner, as a Cabinet mem- ber and as a judge, promiaes that he will do so. The nominations of Senator James F. Byrnes of South Carolina (already confirmed by the Senate as a “Sena- torial courtesy’) and of Attorney Gen- eral Robert H. Jackson to fill existing vacancies on the Court occasioned no surprise and should be cordially re- ceived. Though regarded as an “Ad- ministration man,” Senator Byrnes has shown 4 considerable degree of inde- -| pendence. Attorney General Jackson is an able lawyer and administrator who 4 has not had to display judicial quali- ties, but who will certainly bring to the Court an incisive mind, . The responsibility of these nomina- tlona must have weighed heavily upon the President, for their influence will extend far beyond his own term of of- fice, They strengthen the hope that the Court will have the flexibility as well as the stability that will be needed in ears to come to hold us trus to basic rinciples and freedoms during era ‘fot mighty change. ~~ ra er: ~— tl = nn " ry a CLIPPING FROM THE N. Y¥. TIMES JUN 131941 Y. Div. D..TE TORARDED BY N.