Let the Chips Fall (Lightly)

The cleanup job that Harry Truman promised for his malodorous federal house loomed as one of Augean scope when Judge Thomas Murphy backed away from it last December. The President seemed to have in mind a formidable probe and prosecution, a Democratic version of the Republicans' famed Teapot Dome inquiry. Last week the job turned out to be far less heroic in proportions. It called for a special assistant to the Attorney General, with powers only to investigate, leaving prosecution up to Attorney General Howard McGrath. After reportedly being refused by two other eminent lawyers (the late Robert Patterson and former American Bar Association head, Cody Fowler), the chore was accepted by Newbold Morris, a blueblood reformist Republican from Manhattan.

Tall (6 ft. 3 in.) Yaleman Morris was one of the eager young men of Fiorello La Guardia's Fusion administration in New York. He served as president of the city council under the Little Flower (1938-46), ran unsuccessfully for mayor against William O'Dwyer. Morris has a gift for the pompous phrase and the ill-turned paragraph; as a reporter once said to him: "You were born with a silver foot in your mouth."

Last week, as he was sworn in by McGrath, Morris was plainly enthusiastic over his new assignment. He was convinced, he said, that the Attorney General and President would give him "a completely free hand" for "the biggest service I ever had to perform." He added: "My investigations . . . will be nonpolitical . . . Let the chips fall where they may ... I am an inveterate and implacable opponent of ... the spoils system . . . I am ... just as anxious to clear the clouds that may be over any agency because of the misconduct of one or a limited number of employees . . ."

There were some mild cheers on Capitol Hill for the new special investigator, and also a few unkind cuts. The Senate subcommittee digging into sales at exorbitant profits of war surplus tankers let out reminders that a foundation headed by Morris is involved. (Morris has denied any personal gain from the transactions.) Michigan's Representative Charles E. Potter, an un-American Activities committeeman, accused Morris of having spoken before Communist-front groups ("Asinine," retorted Morris). Such G.O.P. men as Robert Taft and Richard Nixon could see nothing but a planned whitewash in the Morris inquiry.

Meanwhile, the House Judiciary Committee, reflecting a wide distrust of the Administration's pledge to tidy itself up, voted to investigate on its own the state of Howard McGrath and his Justice Department.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.