Evening star., 1952-02-02
Morris 10 beqiin
Task With Probe
Of Justice Dept.
Congress Reaction
Is Mixed on Drive
Against Corruption
By GEORGE Beveridue

Dy george peVeIIu9S
In face of mixed congressional
reaction, New York Attorney New
bold. Morris today lined up the
Justice Department as the first
target in his drive to sweep cor
|ruption out of the Federal Gov
|ernment.
Mr.. Morris, a 6-foot 3-inch, self
proclaimed Abraham Lincoln Re-
publican" will begin his "let-the-
chips fall here-they-may" in
|vestigation Monday. Officially,
he will be a special assistant to
Attorney General McGrath.
Sworn in yesterday as the ad-
|ministration's choice to head
President Truman's ng-promised
cleanup campaign, the onetime
head of theeNew York City Coun-
Gil served notice in Mr.. Nc
Grath's presence that his first job
would be to probe Justice Depart
ment activities.
Applaud Appointment.
That statement alone was
enough to stir members of the
House Judiciary Committee, which
last week voted for their own in
vestigation of Mr.. McGrath and
the department he heads.
Generally, committee members
|applauded the new appointment
But they made plain that they in
tend to push their own probe
probably with increased vigor.
Senator Nixon, Republican, o1
California said the appointment
was "too little and too late
Morris is too little and McGratt
is too late" In a later state.
lment. the Senator said Mr.. Morris
should be given a chance to prove
his ability to make the investiga.
tion, but that his initial state.
ments to the press did little t,
build public confidence" He
added:
I'm one breath, he said the De-
partment Of Justice would be the
first target of the investigation
but in the next breath he ex.
pressed confidence in McGrath
who, or course, heads the Depart
|ment and must be held respon.
|sible for any irregularities which
intimately may be revealed by ths
investigation. "
Wants CLARK Called.
Representative Killings, Repub.
lican, Of California said he intend.
to ask the investigators to cal
Supreme Court Justice Clark-Mr
McG Grath's predecessor as Attor.
lney General - for questioning
about the appointment Of Theron
Lamar Caudle to high Justice De.
lpartment posts. He said he alst
wants to hear testimony from &
San Francisco judge and United
States Attorney about their han.
ding Of tax cases.
The House Ways and Mean!
Subcommittee probing tax scan.
dals considered calling justice
Clark last year about the Caudls
appointment, deferred to the pre-.
lcedent against calling members o1
the, high court.
Mr.. Killings. Republican Repre-
sentatives Keating of New Yorl
and Bakewell Of Missouri are
G. o. P. selections for the pro.
posed House investigation. Dem
ocratic selections are still to bl
named.
18th Hour Maneuver.
Mr.. Heating called the appoint.
Iment of Mr.. Morris a 18th houl
maneuver" and an admission tina
no one in Mr.. McGrath's Office i!
qualified by ability and character
to fight corruption"
Representative Bramblett, Re
publican, of California said h
hoped the move "does not indi'
cate a plant on the part of thl
administration to use Morris a.
window dressing while it sabotage
his efforts to clean house."
But Representative Kean, Re
publican, of New Jersey, mem
ber of the King misunderstanding
subcommittee, said the more
people there are trying to clear
up the bad situation in Govern.
ment, the better. I've known Mr.
Morris q great many years ane
I know he's honest"
Senator Lehman, Democrat.
Liberal, Of New York said Mr.
Morris is a man of "unimpeach.
able character and high ethica
standards"
Senator Ives, Republican, o.
New York, an old friend of Mr.
(See CLEANUP. Page A-3J