Evening star., 1952-02-01
Morris
Continued From First Pase

a1lCC "a Ills u0VA0o @ASsS ~SSA~ =,
to him.
"I recognize the undertaking tt
which Mr.. Morris has committed
himself is a difficult one. ! ear
|nestly ask the American people t.
place their trust In the rectituds
|of his efforts no less than my owl
lin endeavoring to find the full
and complete answer to the ques'
|tion that has been raised as K
the extent of venality in the Fed
|eral service.
"Only by. determining this IN {
truly objective manner. unmovet
lby personal or political consider
lations, can we hope to retain TO
the faithful public servants o
our Government the honor ans
respect they so richly deserve.
"Mr. Morris owes no allegiance
whatever by reason OF prior asso
lciation or otherwise to myself o
Ito the present administration.
have asked him to undertake thi
task solely as a service to hi
country"
Associate Of La Guardia.
Mr.. Morris, whose 50th birthda
lis tomorrow. is an early associat
lof the late Mayor La Guardia 9
New York. In 1949 Mr.. Morris
as Republican-Libera City FusioI
candidate for Mayor, lost to VIII
liam O'Dwyer. Democrat, by 955.
I82l votes to 1,266.213. He lost =
Mr.. O'Dwyer also In .1945.
He is a lineal descendant Q
Lewis Morris, a signer OF the Dec
llaration of Independence, who's
family history in New York date
well back into the 17th century.
Personable and active In man.
causes, he has not always takel
the most apt action at the mos
suitable time. A City Hall re
porter once commented that MI
Morris was born with a silver foo
lin his mouth.
The wealthy young lawyer go
into politics through Manhattan
old 18th assembly district Republi
can Club of which his father hat
lbeen president. He became bell
ringing district captain. and wol
appointment as an assistant cor
Iporation counsel upon the election
Iof Mr.. La Guardia as Mayor il
1884. Becoming an alderman, n
won the presidency Of the ney
Icity council in 1887, and was re
elected in 1941.
Settled Truck Strike.
In Office he worked closely witt
the mayor. Once. while Mr.. Ii
Guardia was out of the city, MI
Morris maneuvered until he hat
virtually settled a truck strike tina
was crippling deliveries.
He was regarded as an opponen
of Gov. Thomas E. Dewey, twic'
defeated Republican candidate TO
President.
Mr.. Morris was graduated from
Groton School in 1921, Yale il
|1925 and Yale Law School In 1928
He is an Episcopalian.
Mr.. Morris is a bit Of a sports
enthusiast and once won a figure
skating championship. He otter
has skated With Sonia Henie.
AS a freshmen at Yale he tool
part in the famous 1922 crew
race against Harvard. Mr.. Nor.
|ris' pants were nailed to the seal
for a better grip and when thu
boat suddenly turned over. h
was catapulted from the vessel
minus his trousers.
Married Judges Daughter.
A wealthy man, Mr.. Morri!
comes from the "silk stocking
district of New York, a fashion.
able Long Island sector. He /.
married to a daughter Of former
United States Circuit Judge
Learned Hand. She is his sec
ond wife. Mr.. Morris has foul
children, two by each Of his wives
He was divorced from his frs
wife.
Mr.. Morris name figured in th'
surplus ship investigation Il
Washington last year. in which
promoters including Attorne!
Joseph E. Casey Of WASHINGTON
were said to have made fabulous
profits" in buying ships from tn
|Government and reselling them.
A foundation of which MIR. Nor
Iris was head, the China nterna'
Itional Foundation, came under thu
scrutiny Of Government investiga'
tors, but Mr.. Morris was not &C.
Icused Of any wrongdoing.
He said the Chinese government
gave the foundation three ships
and that profits from their opera
|tions went toward educating
Chinese students In this country
and toward rehabilitating the For.
lmosa University library.
Mr.. Morris said the foundation
made no profits.
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