National Affairs: Delay

Having delayed and mulled over the nomination of Attorney General Stone to be a Justice of the Supreme Court before approving it (TIME, Feb. 16) the Senate proceeded in fully as leisurely a manner about filling the post made vacant by Mr. Stone’s removal.

Charles Beecher Warren of Michigan, former Ambassador to Japan and to Mexico, was nominated to succeed Mr. Stone some time ago. The Senate Judiciary Committee considered him critically. Senator Walsh of Montana led the opposition to Mr. Warren, which was based on the charge that Mr. Warren was involved with the sugar trust; that, in 1902, he had purchased for the American Sugar Refining Co. a controlling interest in the stock of a number of Michigan sugar companies; that, until recently, he was President of the Michigan Sugar Co. and of the Toledo Sugar Co.

A surprising degree of opposition developed; and a poll of the Senate indicated that, if Mr. Warren’s nomination came up, it might be rejected by a small margin. That being the case, his friends reversed their tactics and strove to keep his nomination from being reported by the committee in order to avoid defeat on the floor. If their policy is successful, Mr. Warren’s nomination will not come up until the new Senate assembles on March 4. But even then, with a larger Republican majority, it is not certain that it will be approved.

Meanwhile, President Coolidge has declined to consider withdrawing the nomination, leaving it up to the Senate to act.