Judge Disavows Speech

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32209, 30 January 1970, Page 18

Judge Disavows Speech

(NZ.P. A.•Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, January 28. President Nixon’s new nominee to the Supreme Court, Judge G. Harrold Carswell, today appeared assured of winning his appointment despite criticism of a white supremacy speech he made 22 years ago.

Senior senators said the upper chamber of Congress was likely to confirm Judge Carswell’s appointment, although civil rights leaders have not softened their opposition to him. Senate judiciary committee hearings on his nomination began yesterday, and he was subjected to some rough questioning from Democratic members on his views on race.

Republican members of the committee will question Judge Carswell today and are expected to give him an easier time. Judge Carswell, appointed last year to the United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals by President Nixon, has disavowed a white supremacy speech he made during an unsuccessful campaign for a seat in the Georgia State Legislature.

the 50-year-old Judge acknowledged to the committee that he helped finance the privately - owned segregated Tallahassee Golf Club with a SI contribution, but denied he had anything to do with discriminatory practices. Last night a Democratic senator, Mr Birch Bayh, of

Indiana, who led the successful campaign to block Mr Nixon’s nomination of Judge Clement Haynsworth to the Supreme Court last November, said that be thought the Senate was likely to confirm the Carswell nomination.

His initial reaction after yesterday’s hearings, he added, was that there was insufficient evidence to defeat the nomination. The chairman of the Senate committee, a Democrat, Senator James Eastland, of Mississippi, described Judge Carswell as an impressive witness and expressed confidence in the success of the President’s nomination.

The committee is expected to end its hearings by the end of the week so that a vote can be taken before sending its recommendation to the full Senate next week

But liberal senators are manoeuvring to delay the conclusion of the hearings until next week at the earliest to give civil rights groups more time to collect evidence against Judge Carswell. Most committee members, however, feel that despite his speech in 1948 and his association with the Tallahassee club, there is still not enough against the Judge to damage his chances materially.