Evening star., 1952-04-13
McGrunery Selection
Ends Cleanup Drive
Anti-Corruption Campaign Sure
To Flop With Exit of Morris
By Fronk R. Kent


The complete flop of President Tru-
mans announced determination to clean
up the corruption in his administration
is too clear to argue. The fact is the
mess is more smelly than before. The
really contemplate treatment of New
bold Morris, an honest and decent man.
who responded to what he thought was
a call from the President to perform a
public duty, has certainly put Mr.. Tru-
man in very poor light. Neither Mr..
MorriS's tactlessness nor the drastic
nature of his QUESTIONABLE excuses it,
There appears real justification for his
assertion that when the White House
and the Attorney General found out he
meant business" they lost all appetite
for the investigation.
But that isn't the worst of it. Much
worse is the prospect that the passing
from the scene of both Mr. McGrath
and Mr. Morris marks the end of any,
thing in the nature of an independent,
vigorous investigation of the depart
ments Gin which crookedness has been
revealed) in way calculated to restore
confidence in the integrity of the Gov
ernment." Certainly, the appointment
of Judge James P. McGyanery as At
torney General to succeed MI. McGrath
gives no such assurance. On the con-
trary, Mr.. McGranery, since talking
with Mr. Truman, has publicly ex-
pressed doubt that there is any corrup-
ton, though how any man in the face OF
the revealed facts can entertain such a
doubt Is difficult to see. If, he explains.
corruption does exist, it will be investi-
tod nt 1,xYo ,fcid wit
RAISING QUESTIONABLE but by the FBI,
which is an agency of the Department
of Justice and directly responsible to
the Attorney General.
X
Naturally, this is interpreted as mean
ing that the new Attorney General will
discover no evidence of corruption at
all and then along with Mr.. Truman. he
will proceed on the assumption that
there never has been any and. given
time, the American people will forget
that there ever was any alleged. There
seems no other way to look at the sltua-
ton and, under the circumstances, the
decision of the Senate Judiciary Com
mittee to disregard the traditional Gus
tom of confirming former members OF
Congress named for high posts by the
Executive, without the formality OF a
hearing, is in the public interest. In
fact, considering the criticisms leveled
at Mr.. McGranery there is no reasonable
alternative.
Of all the criticisms the most trench
ant and devastating is that uttered by
District Attorney Richardson Dilworth
of Philadelphia Mr.. Dilworth is man
of the highest character and ability. He
Is not only a Democrat, but one OF
the Democratic leaders in the city and
State. A little over year ago he. with
Mayor Joseph Clark. Sensationally de-
feated the corrupt Republican machine
which had ruled Philadelphia for gen.
erationS. In a curt and exceedingly
brief statement. Mr.. Dilworth had this
to say of the McGranery appointment:
THE appointment of McGranery as
Attorney General of the United States
is so bad as to be almost unbelievable.
For, the regime Of McGranery will be
marked by incompetence, bias, favorl-
tism and ward politics at its worst"
Coming from man OF MIR. DilWorth's
standing and position, this isn't the sort
of thing that can be laughed OIL or
ignored. 1t would seem that the COM
mittee must ask Mr.. DilWorth to give his
reasons for so serious and unequivocal
a denunciation. Those who know Mr..
Dilworth well feel that, if asked. he will
present his reasons fully, forcefully-
and gladly. He is not the kind of man
to make such charges without being
willing to back them up. Mr.. McGran-
cry, of course, is a close personal friend
of Mr.. Truman with record of servile
New Deal-Fair Deal voting as member
of the House before Mr.. Truman ap-
pointed him judge.
All of which seems to make Mr.. Nc
Granery's confirmation by the Senate
at least doubtful.