Death of Morrow

Out to shady Englewood, N. J. one mid-day last week drove nine jovial members of the U. S. Aeronautical Chamber of Commerce to have lunch with air-minded Senator Dwight Whitney Morrow. The night before, after a radio speech in behalf of a Jewish charity drive, he complained of being tired, but said he would be in shape for the luncheon. When the guests rolled up before the comfortable Morrow home, not many miles from where another great New Jersey citizen was dying, they were met with shocking news; when the Senator had not awakened by 11:30 that morning, his secretary Arthur W. Springer went in to call him. Senator Morrow was asleep but breathing with great difficulty. Thoroughly alarmed Secretary Springer summoned three doctors. A short time later the country was shocked to hear that Death had come--kindlier in this case than usual-- at 1:52 p. m. to kindly Dwight Whitney Morrow, in his sleep, of cerebral hemorrhage. He was 58.

Mrs. Morrow was called in from a nearby golf course. The Senator's sisters, Miss Alice Morrow and Mrs. Agnes Morrow Scandrett, were about to sail for Istanbul that afternoon on the American Export liner Exilona. They rushed to Englewood hastily. Other members of the extensive Morrow family were summoned. Mrs. Morrow herself sent a radiogram to Col. & Mrs. Lindbergh in China.

In his early years, when a poor boy sets out to make a fortune he has little time for altruism. In his middle years he is not expected to be helpful; he is too busy. In his old age he may frequently become fabulously charitable. It was significant that a group of men were on their way to ask assistance from Senator Morrow, as his brain was quietly bleeding to death. His mature years, were a history of helpfulness.

No one demanded more of Dwight Morrow than himself. He was born in Huntington, W. Va., son of the poorly paid president of Marshall College. At 17 he tried to get into West Point but missed the appointment because his older brother Jay was already a cadet. Jealous neighbors objected. He failed his entrance examinations for Jefferson College, he failed at Amherst too, but a friendly professor interceded. He was allowed to work off his conditions as a classmate of quiet Calvin Coolidge in the Class of 1895. He worked his way through Columbia Law School. Six years later he had worked his way into a partnership with the Manhattan law firm of Simpson, Thacher & Bartlett. His future was assured. Then people began to get him to do things for them.

In 1914, J. P. Morgan & Co. were embroiled in the tangled finances of War-racked Europe. Tempers were as quick as the tremendous international negotiations of the firm had to be. Someone who thought fast and spoke softly was needed. Morgan the Son had just officially taken over the House. To him came Partners Henry P. Davison and Thomas W. Lamont with the suggestion that Lawyer Morrow, Partner Lament's Englewood neighbor, be taken into the business. Morrow was approached, took his wife to Bermuda to decide, decided yes.

Morrow's most important work as a Morgan partner was in organizing a syndicate of bankers to find gold to pay New York City's obligations maturing abroad at the beginning of the War. He is also credited with the organization of the Kennecott Copper Co. and in allying General Motors with the du Pont interests.

Three years later Dwight Morrow's first civic obligation descended upon him. Press and public in New Jersey were kicking up a storm of protest about the State's prison conditions. Harried Governor Walter Evans Edge appealed to him to serve on a correctional committee. Morrow accepted, became chairman, finally knew more about prison conditions than any layman in the country. From then on his duties came thick & fast. He was sent all over the State by Secretary William Gibbs McAdoo to boom War Saving Stamps. Soon after, President Wilson put him on the Allied Maritime Transport Council, sent him to Europe. Here again Morrow proved himself fast analyst and smooth conciliator.

On the Maritime Council a good natured Admiral taught him what he liked to call Rule No. 6, a rule of conduct that was more and more on the Morrow tongue in recent months: "Don't take yourself too seriously." As a lawyer, as a banker, he once summed up his impressions of war:

"Investors who buy foreign bonds appreciate what a fruitless remedy for breach of contract war is. Who is there if a man owes him money and cannot pay, finds profit in going out and killing the debtor?"

Back from the War, Mr. Morrow was asked to raise $3,000,000 for Amherst. Then Classmate Coolidge's Administration got in public hot water for the dirigible Shenandoah's disaster. Classmate Morrow was asked to serve on an ameliorating board "for purposes of making a study of the best means of developing and applying aircraft in national defense." And two years later (1927), came the roughest assignment yet. Mexico was on the verge of confiscating foreign property. Respecting not only the House of Morgan, which had extensive Mexican holdings, but his helpful fellow-student, President Coolidge sent Ambassador Morrow to a country that diplomatic careerists avoided like a plague. By the time he got back, Ambassador Morrow's daughter Anne was married to the U. S. national hero and Mexico's Plutarco Elias Calles was calling Ambassador Morrow one of his best friends. Then to the London Naval Conference, then to stand for the Senatorial seat left awkwardly vacant when Senator Edge was sent as Ambassador to France. Bucking stiff Democratic opposition, Dwight Morrow refused to make Prohibition a campaign issue but denounced it rationally, sailed into the Senate one of the biggest little men of affairs, of experience, of generosity of opinion that ever was seated there. People missed him last week. As sheaf upon sheaf of telegrams piled up from potent men in Wall Street, in Washington, in Mexico, all over the world, the sense of personal loss was very real.

New Jersey law prescribes that if a Senator dies within 30 days of election time (Nov. 3 this year), his successor may be appointed by the Governor. Outside that limit, his successor must stand for election. A Senatorial election in New Jersey would in all likelihood be a serious embarrassment to the Republican party at this time. If a Democrat won, and he would have an excellent chance, the Democracy would have a Senate majority, as it may have in the House. But an appointment would be in the hands of Republican Governor Larson. When New Jersey's Senator died, the 30-day limit had been passed by 38 hours. Even in death Dwight Whitney Morrow had been helpful.

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