Sir Robert Ho Tungs recent dispensation of charity to various worthy causes, notably his $50000 to the Szechuen Famine Relief Fund, has advis were adventuring into been on so generous a scale that his thoughtfulness in managing to make terra incognita, with very little of 50 handsome an addition to the Coro-old practice to guide them, and a n Memorial Fund in Shanghai vast field of trial and error to be t be especially gratifying to the explored.
Hence the of sponsors of that scheme. Indeed, as
New tion generically termed the|!t was ye that: Sir Robert had Deal was aaa d by Congress, Memori ress, made to the Hongkong Coronation and 7 generous donation of $10,000, his exceedingly which much was declared uncon- kindness in finding it possible to stitutional by the highest tribunal devote so substantial an amount as of the land. The right to pass on $2,500 to the Shanghai Fund is all the the constitutionality of congress more noteworthy. In forwarding his sional, or for that matter any cheque Sir Robert has been good other form of legislation in the enough to express his strong ap-United States, does not appear to proval of the objects of the Fund have been specifically included in and to convey his warm wishes for ihe Constitution, for it was early its speedy completion, He certainly has given a strong incentive to all in its history that the Supreme who have not yet subscribed to repair Court decided that it had such their omissions at an early date. powers, a decision which has He has lifted the total well over the never been upset and which now $110,000 mark and so the organizers has behind it the authority of long cen continue their efforts to collect standing. So much is this the case the remaining $40,000 with renewed that it is doubtful whether it would vigour. There is nothing like success not actually require a Constitu-to stir the community, The Fund sonal amendment to deprive the is steadily mounting. The process should now be accelerated.
Supreme Court of the powers with which it vested itself so many years is clear now that, when the ident embarked upon his mes to rescue the nation from lough of despond, while he had definite and clear cut ideas of objective he in view, ther he nor his advisers were at clear as to the best path to towards it. Either that or they failed to perceive the stern uncompromising rock of the Supreme Court which impeded their path, or fancied that its implacability would be moderated in view of the special circumstances with which the Administration was faced. It is a matter for some surprise that the constitutional lawyers amongst the President's advisers were not more closely apprised of the danger, but it is possible that even they were more obsessed with the importance of the task befor. them than impressed by the technical difficulties they had to face. Be that as it may the fact ultimately emerges that when the President came forward with his plan for the reform of the Supreme Court it had already assumed the complexion of an afterthought and a belated attempt to make the tribunal more amenable to the wishes of the administration. Reform of the Supreme Court was not part of the original New Deal programme. Had the Court done what was ex of it no such proposition, it fectly safe to venture, would dent would, perhaps, have been ground had he or hi been gifted with sufficient foresight to have proceeded wit! ihe reform of the Court prior to the intreditetion of the legislation which ultimately gave rise to so much controversy. That he did not do, though these is little reason to
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.