CHURCH COMMITTEE REPORTS

326
Ku Klux 18.<m Inve:'jtigo.tion s
hB ere constantly alert for inforQation concerning
klnnSt1Cn '.>:ho become I:'.cmbers of local end state police
agencies and lQen ntterr:pts to infiltrate' 1';;'1/ enforcement.
UlW cnfol:cC!!lCnt ,,-senc:i.e1l have nliluys been a priI:".c .tarcet of
thc Ku rQux KLon. In 1964, ':0 f.urni'shcd imOl-iJation to
Governor Paul Johnsen of lJississippi conecrn1nl] klimsr..cn vho
"-ere menbers of the 1:1s&i.ssippi l1igiway Patrol. These ~n
Were subsequentlY fil:ecJ. Since that time relations !lnve
, crcatly ic?rovccJ .rencJerin:; nore effective the rnir 0:::erc1.80
of local 1c.u e.nrol-cement resl)onsibilitieD in Hississippi.
It has been part of our established policy to notify
tho hcac1' of the 1m; cnf6rcemint 2i:;ency involved of any :l\2:nber
of his oq:;c.ni::ation 1.110 hos'been 5l,;orn into the Ku lG.lL"C
Klan. In addition, the Governor of the state is notified.
ACgUISITIO:l 0;;' FJ"pO!1S MID DYl!A~iITI 0;::' THE lW KLm: KUJl
Af; part of out' investigation of lG.an groups, ~'O
determine the CJ;tent to "'bieh the)' .ore 'nequirint; and stockpiling
;~npcns, ~nition. and dy~itc. Durinp, our investi2ations
;I"e a1,mys ,endeavor to t:etc;:m1no ·the .I1I.llnbcrs llnd
types of '~npon3.ond the amount of dyna~ite posccsscd by
klansmen. In 19GLf, for c-"<D.J:lDle, . ,
, Was arrested by" FBI AEcnts and local authorities
for possession of cynamitc Which, according to our Klan
sources, he intended to usc ror bombing purposes.
, If it is determined that illegal "~apon9 such as
automatic I::achine EUIls;, illegal rifles and shotr,uns, are
b~inc held by Y~ansmcn. nppro?riato investigations under the
National and/or Federal Firearms Act are instituted.
:'.
"l,l.irl.
;::;:\
! <." ,
,. 1
J ,
• '. I j ~ I

527
Ku Klu>~ Klan Irr,restigations
mrEIWr2P3 OF KLtJiSHSH
One of the f;l'eatest attractions ·for l~lms:nen is
the allc[ecl cloa!~ of secrecy ~rhich surrounds their Klan .
membership. l:e have found that.Co proj;raJ1l of selective intervicvs
of klunSr.Jcn, where they are made a~lare of our kno"<lledge
of'their IUun nffiliati~, has done much tocuuse disillusionment
of the Dernbers end dis~ption of the organization.- In
. som~ instonces kl;m5T.1cn volunteer information a.bout the
orcani::c.tion end "its £'.ctlvitic:J. These intcrviel1s also put
us in n position to I1SSCSS eadu=ernber 'W'ith re[:nrd to his
potential 11:; cn ir'.f'or::lIlnt. ~tlthour,h our A~ents in conrluctin3
their int~rviews ere frc~JentlY'mct with hostllit)· I1nd threat3
by rnilit<~1t klansm~n, OUt' Klan intervleu pro[;t'£l!l\ has been DOSt
effectivc in Qctcrrinz vio!ence and developi~g informants.
On Dccc!:lbcr t, 1967. an InformMt of our Hohile
Divl:;ion learned of Klan plc.ns to bhrn crosse:; in Nontr:o:nary,
IIlabaJ:lll. This iru:orr'..<ltion was disseminate.c;I to appropriilte
local authorities in an effort to effept arrests during the
co~ission of these ille~al acts.
Only ~~thin the l'astweek on informant of our
Jac!~on Office obtained information c9nccrning poasession
of l05_s~icks of dynamite ~/'
This infornation ,I'l<1S given to local authorittes
"rho crrcsted and confiscated the dynamite. was
charGed ,"ith 111el_,:11 possession of dynamite. a felony in the
State of 111ss1ssi?pi.
HEC~-:'
../l.Il
rF:
J?' ')
,- t ,

528
EXHIBIT 47
([)ff~rr Df r[!!.' Attl1rm'll ([t'm'rlll
llJu51jingiun. D. Q:.
September 1( 196','
).i2~·:O]..A:mu-:·r E'O~ ~HE DIPECTO:tJ FEDERAL
BUREAU O? lifIGS'i'IGATIOi,j
......
Altl;C'\J~h the buIk of crir:linal.·.offenses occurring
in t:l'~ cc~.~!.. ~~·~ - of recent riots have 1?~cn.local rather
:.~....::.:-~ ~C!r!.~:':~'" "n natu·~"'=. the Question a3 to wheth·~r
th~r3 \'Ta3 2.;-: crganiz·3.tion ~·:hi:-h. (Co) haL! rri.cie~~:u.;,~u(;~u
plan~ for, ~nd (b) ~&s active during any of·the riots
in the su:::".\'.:1:' of 196'{ is one that. can..l10t a;.·..rays be
re:"c.ily l'esol·"ed by local authori.ties. In vie~[ of th~
sej,'i:)~sn~:;~ r:Jf the riot acti1fity across thecou..""ltl"'~r:
it is most i;-::?ortant that ~'ou use t:tc :r~::':t:im1J.r.l E'.-,(e.ilable
r~scurce~) ~~vestis~tiv~ a~d'intelli5e~ce, to collect
a~d re::po~'t t:.ll facts beaying upon ti':e question a.~ to
\'lh~ther th2~"~ ha.s 'bee:} o!' is a .:;~he:Je :J'r conspiracy by
any irC'.1P ot ~..lha.tever si2e~ affecti...,.~n~.ss or affiliat!~!l.l
to ~lanJ ~~cnote or·ag;ravate riot activity.
II'. this con!:.ection the follot·tin;;; rideral 3t'lt,..t~s
could be ~~ylicabls d~~ending, cf.cou~s~J upcn the ra~~~al
situatior~ -;;:~a.t develo~s:
Titlc18J usc··,··Secticn ·2383J ~·ihich ~roscr!.t;:s
the incitin; or engagin~ in any L~bellio~ or
1hsurrection e.g3.inst the .atlt~-:critr c·r the
United States.
Title 18, USC J Seetbn 2384, ~hich pros~ribes
conspiring to overtr.rc~ o~ to destroy ~y for~e
the Goverru:-,",,/lt of the U:lited Ste. tes or to
oppose by force th:: authority thereof or by
·for:~ to prevent, hi~dcr or dalay th: executicn
of any l~~ of,the U~it~d States.

. .. ,
529
. - 2 -
Title 18, USC, Section 238;, which p~oscribe5
inter eLia, advocacy of o·-erthro\·ring the
Govern.'7!;::1.c of the United .'tates o~ the Government
of a:1.Y stat~, territ<:r,:', District or .
possessio~ th~reof, or the Govern.~~nt of any
political subdivision therein by force c.r
violence.· .
.Activities Affecti~g Ar~ed Forces, ~i8.usC 2388 , .. ) ,.
Selective Service, 50 usc (App~T46~
Travel and Interstate Transportation,
18 usc 1952 (Arson) i
18 usc 831-33 (Explosive) _
Assault and Killing of Federal Officers and
Employees, 18 USC 111, 114 and 2231
.Destruction of Government Propertyj· 18 usc 1361 6t ale
Federal Firearms Act, 15 USC 901-909
Crimes on Fede~al Reservations, 18 usc 13, 81 et a1.
I appreciate that the Bureau has constantly been
alert to this proble~ and is currently sub~itting i:1.:el~iBence
reports to us about riots and about the activity c~
I
certain gro\1';ls and individuals before, during and afte:'
a riot. Indeed, the Presidefit has said both publicly a~~
privately that the FBI is conducting ext~nsive and co=-?r;~e~-
sive investigations of these matters. . .
There persists, hOlofever, a ",idespread belie:~ t~s.t
there is ::lore organized activity in the riots tha:l ,.:",
presently :-""lo·,'f about •. He ::lust recognize, I believe, :::at
this is a relatively·neH area of investigation and i::te2.2.:'genee
reportin§; for the FBI ~nd the D;;partment of J'.:stic;:.
We have not heretofore had to deal with the oossibl1it7
of an organized pattern of violence, constituting a •
violation or' federal law, by a group of persons 'dho ::-.a::e
the urban ghetto their base.of operation ~nd whose
activities ~ay not have been' regularly :nonitored by
eXisting intelligence sources. .
In these circun3ta~es, we must be certain that
every atte"-pt is being r.:?de to get &.11 jnfor::!atio:1.
bearing upon theze problemsj to take every st~p possible

530
to detE:rm~ne \':~eth<::!" the rioting is pre-planned or
organiz€d, ar.d, if so, to detercine the identity of
the people and interests. involved; and to d,~te:' this
activity b~r prol:\pt anti vigorous legal action.
As a part of the broad investigation which nust
necessarily be conducted, it is recuested that all
available i:1i'orr.:3.t:'cn be r'~ocrted and analyzed regard-
iog each snip~!'" c~·..:g:-~t in ~r;.:r riot or extrE:i:list
activity and re~a~c~~g t~o:~ arres~~d duri~g the course
of a riot O~ signifi=~nt r~ci~l disturbances who w~re
not., residents of the general area. ~~!oreover, sources
or 1nforrr~3.nt5 in black n~tiona.list organizations, S?:-CC
and other less publ:'cizeo. gI'OUpS, s!lould be developed
and expanded to deter~i~e the size and purpose of these
groups and their relationship to: other groups, and also
to dete!'~....i~~-=.-'-:,,£!:,~!"eabot::'s o~ ~~.~.3_o.n~_;·rho ...rn1ght-oe
~::~~~.:'~:'~~~~~~:;~~~~~~~~~~~;~i~~~~~;~~~j'~~
allegations of conspiratorial activity that come to our
attention from outside Sources suc~ as those reoorted
regarding Ne\·:ark in Life 1·r3.€;azine for July 28, i967,
ind
thos .e....~.e-.5-"-rc-.·<-r:-~.o ;...'..'~'e D_";.'..·"_0i~.... _~<_~....~.... ·~·.r.hic'n .\0"oro -"u~.,.....,- iS..".. .-."A'"
o the Depart::le:1t by Halter Sheridan of the National
roadcasting Co~pany (summary of latter .is attached).
/.4_ ~~."
r~-""'-""'(~~
1W·1SE:Y CLARK
Attorney General

533
EXHIBIT 49
Jjl\ITED STATES Cr -~.• ~IE1\T
lVIerltorand-tria
TO
John Doar
Fred M. Vinson, Jr.
Roger W. Wilkins
J. Walter Yeagley /
:l~he Attorney General
DATE: December 18, 19 ..7
SUBJECT: Creation of Interdivision Information Unit
After consideration of the report of December 6, 1967, submitted
by Kevin T, Maroney, Thomas J. McTiernan, Hugh Nugent and James P.
Turner pursuant to my memorandur:1 of November 9, 1967, I have determined
to establish a permanent unit, staffed with full-time personnel,
to take over and extend the activities of the 50-called Summer Project
of the past two years. The new orga-hization shall be known as the
Interdivision Information Unit.
The Unit shall function for the purposes and within the guidelines
. expressed in m}' memorandum of Kovcmber 9 and the report of December 6,
1967, It is enough to state here that, in the maip, it shall be responsible
for reviewing and reducing to quickly retrievable form all information
. that may come to this Department relating to organizations and individuals
!hro~ghout the country who may- playa role, whether purposefully or not,
either in instigating or spreading civil disorders, or in preventing or
checking them,
The Director of the Community Relations Service and the
Assistant Attorneys General in charge of the Civil Right'b Criminal and
Internal Security Divisions, with the last named acting as chairman and
principal overseer, shall constitute a Supervisory Committee to guide
the Unit in carrying out its f;'nctions. - -
Pending the seiection of a head of·the Unit, Kevin T. Maroney
shall serve as acting head and, with the assistance of the Supervisory
Corrunittce and Messrs. 1,icTicrnar., ~ugent and Turner. take action
to bring it into operation as SOOll as possible. Necessary personnel·
shall be obtained from within the Dcpartn1ent of Justice and arrangements
for ·office space, supplies and equipment coordinated with th.e Adminis"
trative Division.

534
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The S\.:?2:"visory Committee and Unit shall coordir.ate the Unit ' s
activities with related activities carried on elsewhere in the Departrnc:lt
of Justice to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort.
The Supervisory Conunittec shall meet at lc~st biweekly.

539
EXHIBIT 52
UNITED STATES DEPART~!Ei'lT or JUSTICE
FEDERAL DUIlEAU Of Ii'VESTIGATION
W.I.!BINCTON. D.C. 20S)S
January 31, 1975
SULLIVAN MEMORANDA TO JOHN DEAN
. (SENATOR BARRY GOLDWATER)
Reference is made to my letter of January 30, 1975, setting
forth information in the "Sullivan memoranda." Your attention is invited
to specifically Item S of this letter. This item is made up of two paragraj;hs. \
'!1le first paragraph states that President ·Johnson asked the FBI to look
into members of Senator Goldwater's staIf and give him the results. A re\-ie·.';
was made and results furnished some of which contains derogatory information.
We have located a work copy of a memorandum to ]1;[1'. DeLoach dated
OCtober 26, '1964, captioned "NAME CHECK REQUEST FOR VlEITE HOUSE."
This copy states that Bill Moyers, Special Assistant tcr the President, reql!~£ted
Goldwater's office. Using the United States Senate telephone directory, 15
individuals were listed and a memorandum was attached reflecting the resu!~s
. of the chec~c. The recommendation was that Mr. DeLoach furnish the memorandum
to Mr. Moyers.
We are unable to locate a record copy of the above-described
memoranda.
A record copy of::. letter to Mr. Moyers dated October 27.
1964, is in file and was hand delivered by Mr. DeLoach on October 28, leG-i.
This letter advised that there was no derog-atory information in our files o!~
13 of the individuals mentioned.

548
AN Al"ALYSIS OF Fill nm,1FSTIC SFCllllITY
ItlTELLlCENCE H:VESn(;ATIONS: AI1THOruTY •
OFFICIAL ATTITl'DES, ,\Nn ACTIVITIES IN IlISTOHIC rERSPECTIVE
M~ny persons who m'e currcntly cxnmininl! the r:nl's domestic
security ,n'.p.lIip,-p.ncp. nUlhority ~nd the p~)'~metp.rs of this juri<;diction !)('p,-in
theil' analysis ~t iJ mid-point in the history of this ~;~tion's stl'ur!r!lc ~I!~inst
the forces of subversion, This ~pproach tcnds to result in a Tnp.chanical
cX~lJ1i))ntion of the subject WitJlOut the benefit of ~n underst~ndinl!of the
histOJ'ieal forces and necessities which brought ~bO\.:t the 'need to conduct
domestic security intelJirence investigations, In ary effort to clarify the role
the I'I1I has played in this field. it is de·p.mp.d ~ppropriateto submit ,this
concise revic',\' (Of historic cI'cnts illustrating- the evolution (If thl' p,'oblcm
ofdomestic suhvp.rsion, attitudes of Govel'nmp.nt officials tOl'iarc.is the problem.
lind how. ~v,~inst this historic b~c)(drop, the FDI. came to be assigned domestic
security inlellig(mLc responsibilities,
On Scpternbel' 24, 1789, the Office of Attorney Gcneral of the
United States w~s created by Act of Congress, Not until M~rch 3. 1871. was
there an effort to crente ~n investig'ati'!e forcp. for thc usc of the Attorney General
in fulfilJinr: his dutip.s, In that yem', Con~!ress ~pproprilltp.d <;50,000 fOJ' the
usc of the Attorney Gp.neral "in the detection nnd prosecution of crimp.s against
the lInited St~les," 1'1'0111 1871 to 1909, the various Atlorneys (;eneral appointed
"Speei~1 Ap,-p.nts," "C(')Jeral Agents" and "Fxaminers" to ~ssist him in the
'Ietection of ('rimes, In some instances. investir.'ativc personnel from other
1deral ag'cncies ":l're hOITOWp.d for this purpose, Thcir numhers werc few •
..d administl'ation of thp.i!' efforts was pl'imilivc, In ~JJ effort to create an
effective investii!ntive force. AtloJ'neys General rharJes .1, n(lrwp~r'tp. .1nd
GeOl'r:c 11', "'ie)(crsham, in 1908 and 190!J, issued ol'ders which J'('sult,'d in
the crcation of the." Bureau of Investil!ation ." ~ division of the Department,
which. in March. 1!J09, W(lS ord('rp.d to be a sep.1r.1tc unit of the n('p(lrtmcnt
undcrthc control ,1nd supervisi('n of the "Chief of the D\lr('(lu of Investigation,"
This Bureau, by 191G, was bein["! rf'fl'rr('d for invp.stil!ation all federal crimes
not specifically ~ssil!JJed to other' fedcral a(;cncies.
Mony tod~y ll~slJme ineorreetly that the FnI commenccci <1oml'stic
5eeuJ'ity intcllil!('nee jnve~til!alions within the last scvl'l'.11 yp.nrs, In he!.
thc Bureuu of Invcstif;ntion. the prcdeccsi;or of (he modeI'll Flli. was f;ivcn
, l,'iii • \.i ~ 1
I, q l I IJ:,

549
for('i(~n find domcstic sf'clIl'ity r0.sponsibilitics d\Jrin~ World \':~r I (WW I),
1917-1918, It.\'lill bc madc morc ;lppal'C'nt on revie\'l of the fol1owinf( matcri:ll
that many pl'oblrms and q'lcstions conccrninr; domestic secl:rity investiG"otions
of that er:l parallel the problems :lnd questions of today,
With the outbrc;lk of hostilities in Europe in 1911, and this
Nation's p~I,tieip~tion commcneinr; in 1S17, a Oood of 110.11' r('sr(Jnsibilitie~
faced the 300 01' so i\r;ents of the Burc~u of Investi~;ltion, Previously, theil'
respor.sibiliti0.s \':err limited to investi[;:1\ions of cl'imes on Govcrnment !;lnds,
.bonk and b<ln);ruptc)' JI':Juds, forJ:!"ery matters, bribery, and kindred offenses.
With thc eO:71in,: of W:J)', concern over potcnti,11 s[.}Jolarre :ictivities :Jna alien
propaf'~nda r~rcw within tile S~tion, :Jnd the nureau was assir:ned :J .new rolc,
/'\0 lonr;-er \"el'0. thc nllI'C:lU'S intcrests limited to thoc traditirmal ;lre.J$ of ~rimin,11
investigation but \"0.1'e nO'.': broarlel1P.(\ to encompass malters conCCl nin;; intern:ll
6eeurity [Ind n:1:iol1al del'(·n.se. In 1917, Conl2Tess enacted the Self'ctive
Service ;/nc! 'J'l':,i:dnc: ..\r.t, the rspiona2'c Act, ~nrl the Tr.1riil~:.[ \':ith the
Enemy Act, followed in 1913, by tile S:Jbot~g-e ~nd Deportation J\ets,
Enforcelr.er,t responsibilities fer the most part fell on thc B\J:'c~lI of
lnvestig-ation, To mect the added burdens, the Bure.1u was incrc[/sed
to app:oxir..:nely 400 A[;ents, but, nonetheless, these were insufficient to
hundle the t:lsk,
To respond to the pl'oblcm, ";ltol'ne~' Gene1'l1l T~om~s \'.', Gl'e~ory
and then DUI'0.au Chief. A, Bruce Diel~ski, conceived wh'lt they felt rr.i~ht
suffice to answer the problem. The l\Jneric:ln Protective League (API.) ,
composed of \-:ell-meaning- private individuals, ,,'as formed :JS .1 citizens
Iluxiliary to "assist" the Bure<lu of Illvestif;ation, In addition to the :1uthorized
Iluxilian', nd hoc (~roups took it upon themselves to "investir:.1te" Whll,t they
felt we're un-Amcriean activities, Though the intcntions of hoth r:rroups-\~'ere
undolJbtedl~' patl'intic and in some instances 1Jcne{ici~1, the over:ll] result
wos the denial of constitution.11 safegu,1rds and :Jdministrative confusion,
To see the problem, one r~erd only con~irler the ma~s dcrrivnlinn of ri~hts
incident 10 the dcserll'r and sele~ti\'e service viobtor raic\s in ::cw York
and Nc's JCI';;ey in 1~IR, wherein 35 Al!ents assisted by 2,000 ..\I'L oper:ltives,
2,350 military pC"fsonnd, and se;,er:1) hundred police roundcclllp some 50.000
men without \'::JI'l':lnts 01' sufiicic11t probable' c:luse for :lrrcst, Of the 50,000
nrrestccs, :lpproximatcJy !, 500 were inducted into tile military service and
15.000 were reierred to dl'aft boards,
It bet::ame clear that usin~ citiz~n :Juxiliary pcrsonnel was not
the answer to nutional dcfensc manpower IH'oblems.
'\1/1
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. .''1 .. U1l5
r-Ul

550
Secondly. it was realized that there WIl" no central control of
authorized nr:cncies far coardinatinr,- such invcstir:alions and eorrel.1tinl;
the resuJt:Jnt pro"eeutivc :Jnd intcllir{enc1' illiorrnation, lin 1\l.(cnt when
lIs](ed in 1938, \':l13t problerrs IVere experienced durjn~ investigations' in
'i/W I, stated:
"liow did we function with relation to othcr ilrrencies.
both fcderal and !'tate? In an!'wcrinrr this qu<?ry. I
mir;llt say that while our relationship witli the I'rmy
/lnd Navy Departments, was extremely eqrdi:Jl at all
times. nevertheless there was at all times an enormous
ovcrJ:lpping of in\'c~til!:Hi\'c activities amonr,- the
various ar.cncies ehaI'~ecl with the I·,inninl! of the I
\'.'ar, The'rc wcrc prob,1bly scvcn 'or cir~ht such al:tive
orc;anizations opcratinQ' at lull force durinr.- war days
Ilnd it 1':,1S /lot an uncor.lnlOn c;·:pcrin.r.ce for {In AlIent
of this Burcau 10 call upon an indil'idu:d in the
course of his investi:ration, to find out that six or
seven othcr Go\'ernment :1g-ents r ...prescntinp- as mnny
other in\'estic;ativc Ilgt'ncics had been around to'interview ..
the party about the same mattcr', ", The experience
hod in those d:lYs wa:; so convincinf! in the lesson it
tou(;ht, ns to rJ1~ke it cert~in thnt in tn<:> event of
onothel' World \I'ar, some eelltral control should exist
to correct the old evils ,"
Two primary lessons were thus learned concerning investig-lltions
of internal security matters which would playa /!Teat part in considerations
for such investir;atons when the threat 01' potential of I'.'orld lI"ar loom~d in the
1930's, It \I'as evident that ur.professional and untrilined citizens r;'rourTS~
authorizcd or vir,-il:lntc, could not be used as [m ofiicial, functionin!! nuxiliary
to established invt'stir:ative ilfrencit's. Secondly, cvt'n amonz trained.
estllblished :If;l'ncies tht're was a l1ece!'sity for centralized assirnment and
control of investi;ation and eorrGlation of the investigative pl'oduet.
The r,-reat "flrd-l1adieal SenI'e" fol!owrr] closely on the heels of
I,'W I. npparcntly the sucial reaction to thc nflcrrnath of the \,'ar nnd the 11ussian
Hevolution of 1917, The v'io!ence and nnar'chii'm associated with the activities
of sueh "rndicJlls" WP!'e of eoncerll tu the Government lind public alike. In
an effort to counter the radicals and anarchists, the Dcpartm('nt and Burenu.
in conjunction with the Department of Labor. which hod prirnory jurisdiction
1- ;,\ I u.
': I ~,;l
l .... I ~ i
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551
over irnrnir,T,1tlon nwllers, .lsed the pro':isi()n~ of the "Dcport:ltion St:Jtute"
IlS Oil :JllSl'ler. TIle f"J1o\','jnr~ (~xccrp[s (lrc ("om 11 eonfidel1ti:d JetteI' 1f),".,1l
Special Agents llnd Employees" from Director \',' . J. Flynn. dated AUl,'llst 12,
1919:
"The lJul'eau requires n vi~oro1Js :Jnd comprehensive
inveslir;:Jlion of Anarchistic :lnd simil:Jr c1:Jsses,
I3olr,hevism. :Jnd kindred af!'itations ndvocntin~ ch:Jn~e
in the present form of \,Qvernm('nt by for<;e Qr viol('nce.
the promotion of sedition :Jnd revolution. 'bomb throwinr,',
llIHI r,imilar nctivities. In the prese.nt stllte oi the fcderlll
lllll' this inveslir!:ltion s[:ould be p:ll'ticul.1rly directed
to persons net citizens oj the llnitci:! St:lles. with a
vic\\' of obt:lining deport:ltion C:lScs....
"While yOIl arc rcquircd to i-vci"tif;"tc p:ll'ticul:lr!y
with l'eg:Jrd to :l!iens. you i"hould also maKe iull
invcsligiltion of similar netivilies of citizens of the
United St:Jtes with a view to securing- e\,idcncc which
moy be of usc in prosecutions under the present
existil1r,- st:lte or fee!er:ll J:lWS or unclel' ler,hl:1tion
of that nnturc I'/hich mny hereinafter bc cnnctcd .... "
These investigations resulted in the muc!' criticized "Palmer Rcd
Rllids" of 1919 and 1920.
In 191!), J. Ed gar Hoover, a Depnrtmentnl Attorney since 1917,
WllS placed in ch:lr!'c of the \'enernl Intellil;cnce Dh'ision, Dcp:lrtmc'hlof
Justice. Thc Division had the !'csponsibiJity of eorrelatinCl information - •
obtllined by the DUi'c:lu for the purpose of pr'epnrinr,- mntcrinl for deporlntion
procceclinr,-s. As n DCp:lI'lrnentaJ :ltto!'ney, cll·. /!oover not only obsel'veci
the wartime pl'Obl('rns ont cxpcrienced the difficulties .1ssociatcd with
intelliGence-lypc :nvcstitr:llions while with the Division, ,
On October 5, 1920,' he pl'epnred a report on the General
Intellig'ence Division, which read in p:lrl:
"Follolvin[:" the tnaninl~ of bombs to prominent
r,t>VC/'IJnlcnt offjcCI'S in ~Iny. 19J9, .1nd the bomb
<;>utrages of ,Junc 2, I~J9, it beC::lme ,1pp:lrcnt IlInt
...there must be established n systematic llnd thol'ou[;h
- 4 -
u \
66-077 0 - 76 - 36

552
l;upez'vision ovcr the un!:l',dul aetivitics of certain
persons :llld o)'g-anization~; in the United Stl,(e" whose
sole purposes \':crC to CO/limit acts of terrorism and to"
'odvocate by word of mouth and by the circulation of
Iiterntul'e the ovel,throw of the Government of thc
United States by fOl'ce and violence, On August I,
1919. there was formed ;105 a part of the De!Ja;'lmen\ of
'Justicc, a GE0:EHAL li\TELLlGENCE DIVIsrO:-l to handle
the investigations connected with the radic.11 activities
in the United States: ; .. \vhile the work o'f the
General Intellirrence Division \':,1S at first confined
solcly to the investir;ations of the r;,diealmovc!ncnt.,
it has now cxp"nded to covez' more' f'Tncl';11 intelli(T0nce
work, including- not only the radical activities in the
United States .1nd .1bJ'oar.l, but :lIso the slud':iw( of
mntters of 1m internatic'nal nature, as well as economic
and i):dustrial distul'OllllCeS incidcnt thereto .
.. . it \','.105 soon found,th.11 the ie(kr1! statutes WE're
inodequate to properly handle the z'adical situation
{rom a criminal prosecution standpoint, As is alre.1dy
mentioned in this rCj.:oort, there is need in tf]e absence
of )(.'g'isl.:Jtion tv' Cl1;lblc t~I':: fedc:r(i! V0~",·Ci~;:J::'~~ [:dcq:.:~tC'l::
to defend and protect itself and its institutions of not
only oliens within the borders of the l'nited States, but
also of American citizens who arc enr;aJ!ed in t:nl:Jwiul
agitation. Consequently. the efforts of the Bure~.u became
centcred upon the nctivities of alien n~tators. with the
objcct of securing- deportation of such of these persons as
were violatinf; the pZ'ovisiol1s .of the Act of October 16, - •
1918. familiarly known as the "deportation statute."
Mr. 1I00ver further reported thnt within the over.111 operotion nn
indexinr, system ,,'as estnblisheclfor the retrie\'al of informlHinn, Ihot anarchist
societies other thnn purc comrnlll~ist were invcstit.;l1ted for "revolutionory
charocter, n that evidence W.1S discovered li~kilW ]·adie.1Is to U:e Steel lind Coal
Strikes of 1919, and P.nill'f).1c1 Strikes, 1920, th.1t their prop:W,1nda had been
infiltrnted il1tc the labor Inovement. tllat !'adicIiI pl'op.1f!nnda "':IS directed i1t
the Ne(:ro to foster rJCilllul1rest. thot'thel'(: were lln;lrchists of various
fdeoJoI,,'ies practicin£! witliin tile United States. that vl1l"ious stlltes hocl r:ained
convictions uncleI' local criminol synd1c,11ism statutes ond Otl10I'S, and that lhe
Generlll lnteJli~ence Division. of necessity, h(ld r;enerotecl 0 libl'ary of rlldical
publicotions to stUdy the vorious overoll theories and histories of the radicals
and anarchists. -
lil'/
N',;,', .l J9/J
r l;J),1
- 5 -

553
In summnrizin~, ]\Jr. Hoover noted in the report:
"1I1ueh 0' the work of the Gener:ll InteIJif!cnee
Division has been cumulative in nature; ,1nd the
collection of informntion h:lf, elwbled this department
not only to achieve results in the more practic:ll
applicntion of the fl!d,'ral st:ltutes to the unlawful
activities of the r:lcliea!:o; in the l'nited Stntes, but
hns enahled the r-<>'Jel'l1Jnf~nt to study the situ:1tion
from a more inteIIi[;ent and broader vic;~-point.,'"
1111'. lIoover, in his summ:1tion, 5t"teel very cl"arly tI,wt ;nform"tion
which the n'lrcnu ,';[\5 collcctin.tT ";:1S bcinr. us"d by tile G"ncr:ll J"t,'1Iirrenc0
Division ns pure and v:i1Il"blc intclli,fence information to assess intcI"l1:l1 dOlacstic
radicnl acti vIty :lS e:lrly as 1919,
The "I~cd l{:lids" ~cneratccl a s("rm of criticism from such leg-JI
scholars :J5 f'c,1n 1:05coe Pound of IInrv:1I'd, Fl"!ix Fr:ln}:furter, Intel' Associ:1te
Justice of tbe Suprer.:" Court. Chat'les EV:lns l!uqhe5 Dnd I'[\rl:ln Fiske Slone.
both subsequently Chief Justices. In :lrltlilion, the Senate ,Judiciary Committee
launched an investig-3tion of such pra::tices,
In 192~, 1l!ll"1.1n Fiske Slone \,;as :lppoinled Attorney Gene1',11 of
the United States. lind his concept as to the Bureau's role was quite clcar:
"The Bureau of Invcstif!:ltion is not concerned with
politic:ll or other opinions of individu:lls. It is concerned
only with such conduct ns is forbidden by the laws '<J(
thc United States. When:l police systcm r;oes beyond
thcse Jimits it is dangerous 10'Ole proper administr.1lion
of justice ancl to human liberty .... n
J. EcJr~:1r Hoovcr. who wns .1ppointee! DireCI()r ()f the nureau of
Investi{~':ltion by J'-lto1'ncy Gcne1':l1 Stone in 1824. followed this policy from its
inception. In a lettcI' of .\ray 14. 1025. hc responded to an inquiry in point
b}' statinG: .
:) :-"\ 1 '\,)h:,.
,)" .1 Eli)
J
I' Ul.
", •. YOll nrc ndviserl tll:lt f!"Om time to time infol'-
rnntioll conecl'llina communist activities in the \.lnitccl States
is volunt:1rily furnished to field offices of the nurenu
by pni"lics not connected therewith. the informntion
is forlVnrded to this office. However. the! P,uI'e:lU is
makinl~ no investi!':ntions of such activities. innsmuch
as it docs not :lppe!!lr thnt the!re is any violation of n
Federnl Penal Stntute involved."
- 6 -

,',
~
554
Ar:oin. on Octobcl" 7, 192G, he !'esponoed to Colonel .Jnmes II.
'P,eeves, Genel'lll Staff. War Department, os follows:
"In reply thel'cta I bef! to state Ihllt rreneral
investir:'ltions into radic'll Ilctivitics by our val'ious
field offices were discontinued sOlne time arro by re:Json
of cert'lin eha'l!"es in policy. prog"J''lm procedure. etc .•
instituler! lipan instructions fr'om the Depnrlrnent, Such
inveslir::lliC1ns ns al'e now T!1'lde ,1re only in:ltlr.1lrated
upon specific instructions fl:oln the Bureau ,:Jnd arc
directed upon definite reports of nctivities' which may
involve violations 01 federal laws or statutes."
To complr.:tc the piclure of official fBI policy and nttilur1c ref!nrdinl!
investir;ntion af rnrlie,11 :lclivitics durin:; the 1~20rs nnd ('arl~' J~10'S, it mus,
l'c not('d tll;,t int('lli".:r:ncc-type invcstip,"ations \':cr, c;onduct"d C1!1 a Vel')! lilO1itcrl
basis [md fOl' specific purposes \I'hen rcqu"steci by the ,\tlol'ncy Cener.1l and
Secretary of St~te under Ihe provisions of Ihe Appropriations Act. 28 V, S, C ,
533 (3) .
For example, on December 31, 1931. James r., ROf'!"ers. Assist:int
S('el'rtnry of ~lnte. t!'l!'phonieaJlv eont:1cted 3n Assist:l'nt Di!'('c(or to ino'Jire ;]S
to whelher lI:e Fr.J hnd entered the im'esti ~;]Iion of the Clcveland. Ohio. and
Easton. PennsyJv'lnin, bomb "outrn!:'<"s" !1S an inquiI'y had been direeled to
State from the Itolinn J\rnhassncJor I'ef'!":Jrding- prolection of tl;e Italian Consuls,
1Ie was ndvised the matler violated postol lows :Jnd no in'Jestic;~,tjon W:JS und(!;,wny
by the Bureau. By letle!' of the same day. the Assistnnt Sec!'etnry formnlly
requested the DepnrlrnclIt to direct the FBI to "cooperate to the fullest, possible
extent wilh Ihe Post Ofiice Department" 115 the "occurrence so soon nflCl~ Ihe
oUlrnr,es in Fnston indicates the possibility thnt a \':idC'sprl!ail plot nrrainsl'
Illllioll officinls and subjccts m:Jy exist." By Jnnuory 2, 1932, nfter conicll'in;r
with ~ As"i:;t,1nt :\ttOl'llr'V Cencl'nJ. :.11'. ]fOOVCl' had directed th'? initialion of
sueh investi(;alion.
It is'l'pparr.nt that th'e FBI from 192·1 to 1934. conducted v,eneral
domestic radic"l in'.. esti(~atjnns where the netivi!y inciieotr.d a violation of
Fedel'Il1 laws. where invC'stir;alions l\'C'r(' r.peeifically requesl'?<! by ~tatr. n"p:lrtment
throllf!h the ,\ttorney'General. ancl othe!'wise obtaincd such intcllir;encetype
illformati.oll only wIlen volunteered hy some outside source. Thus. as
of 1924. the Ilurenu hnd been ehnnr~ed,from a smnll force o[ criminnl invcstirrators
lind. becnuse of c1uties p"rformec! rer;ardin[r radical 'letivitics durinr:r and
shortly afte!' 1\'\I' I. hnd become the rccor.;nized instrument of the Federal
GOVe'i,nIJ~~,t [or the investig-lltion of such Inlltters.
,I •. IV) ,
- 7 -
1- U1.

555
Even IlIOUf~h g-ener:JI domcslir security jntelJjf~ence investiuntions
were not beinf~ conduct,," rlurinr" this period, other developm"nts oceul.:!'ed within
the orgnniz<Jtion which made the Inter assignment of that rcsponsibility lor;ieaJ.
Between 1923 and 1935. the FBI !Jeelllne thc repository for i<lcntificntion
reeol'fls and finr,-crprints, thns creatinr~ .on Jdcntificr:tion Division, A
compact wns formed to c:,ch:Jn~0. fjnr,-erprints with m"ior nntions. \Iniform reporting
rulcs \':er0. mnd,., npplicable to all personnel in FnJ fipld oUkcs whieh were
.ttrotep,ic:Jlly pl:Jced across thc.countl'Y. an ,organizer.: progrr:m "!as initiated
to trnin new A(~,.,nt 1)(~I'sonncJ lind \';.'5 therenft"I' eXlended to other Ja\',' officers.
nnd the FIJI L:lbOl'ntory ,':ns cl'ented, These :ll1d athol' r-ro\\'th I.,ctors gTl'ntly
brondened the fl1l's inherent c:Jpability to perform future intellip;enee nssi(CTlments.
Of equnl sig-nific:Jl1ee wns the passnf(e by CongTcss in ~.fny :Jnc!
Junc. 1934. of nllIl1C!'Oll" F,,(!PI',11 cl'ir.lC bills which enbr["l"r1 thl" FlH's responsibilities
in the criminnl field to inc!ude nmonr,- olher thinr;s inv0.stir!ntions of
bank rohberies. extortions. kidnappinr; rnnttcrs, Fur;itivc Fplon Aet cases,
Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property cnses. and assaults on Federal
o[(jcers,
These faeturs, of COUI'se. erented no explicit authol'i:". in the Fr.r
to conduct clomC'stie security intellir:enc0. investj~ntinns Oll! they most cteiiniteiy
erented an or~anization with nl\ the assets. composition. (md capabilities
for conductinrr such invcstigations if so direetcd.
Though the Departmental nne! Illll'cau policy from 1924 to 1934
wns to not enr~nf:'e in r.;eneral domestic security jntelJirrencc invcstil!.Hions.
the eommunist-~na)'ehistproblem was cver present nnd of I!l'cat conee;n, to the
public. thc Executivc, and Conr,-rcss, The "1'c'<I rn<licals" and nnnrchists"
were no lonf:er nlnne in the fielrl; however. fOl' in the enrl)' 1930's. Nation:'!1
Socialism, the 1I:azi pori)' id0.olofG' of Arloli Ilitle'I'. r;rew to powel' in Germany
nnd anti-Semitic. :lI1ti-r:Jci.11 propngandn wns bcinp.' peddled hy ~nGi Oi)eratives.
aliens nnd pl'o-Ge,l'mol1 :\mel'ie:lI1s' in the United States.
Durinrr the enrly 1930's. vnrious clements in Congress were
anxious for the FBI to entel; domestic int0.Ilig-ence invcstigations against both
communist l'lldicnls nnd thc Nazi movenlcnt.
Cbmmencin~ in 19.10, "nm,illon Fil'h •.Jr,. then rhni1'mnn of ,1
Bouse Committee investil~ntinr~ comrnunist nne! J'adical nctivitif~s. cont:Jeted
and corresponded with thc Departmcnt und the Bureau re~nl'dinrr proposed
f10V ;; Jji:j
- 8 -

556
legislation whieh would allow the pnr h1.1nkct :1uthority to in\'e~tip.-ate
"Communi~t :mel revolutionnlT activity," (In December J 7. J fl3I, House
Hill 5G59, wns introduced which rend in pnrt,
"(The fIll) is hel'eby authorized and cmpowered
to investif':atc the revolutiollary propa~anda and activities
of eommuni~ts in the lInitC'd ::;tates, and of nil entities,
p:I'OUjJS 01' individuals \'Tho teach or arlvocntp. the
overthrow by 101'ce ane! violence the republican fo:'m
6f~ovel'nment-.::(thp.'Fnl) is herehya·lsoillltliori7.erl
10 eOO!)('r:lte in its inves\ir-ation v:illl \he o\hel' dcpartmpnts
of thc Govcrnment and wilh vm'ious state nnd
munic:ip:d authorities," '
TIl!~ nurcau's position in rcspon!"c to :111 inquiries :1nr! requcsts
throup.-h this pel'iod, hOI'.'"ver, C:lJl be SllfT';';1:1rized in e'r, [TfJovpr's eomm"nts
m:1de .J.1nU:1ry J O. I ~J J • whercin he advisi'd the (;onf'ressm:1J1 th,1t he "thoup:ht
it !lptler not to expand thp pol'/er of the (FHO. sincc the flllrp.1u h:1s never
bcen establish"d by Ip~'islation. but opcrates solp.!y on an nppropriation bill" and
furthel', th,1t "it wOllld be llptter to milkt"· it a crimc 10 pnrticipate in such Ilctivities
He continupd. "the rll.ll'call oper:1tes undcr nn appl'opriation ,1Ct. 'Deteclion nnd
Prosecution of Crime,' and fill the !',urcnu would need vloulrl he legisl:1tion
making- it n crime to pat,ticipnte in ccrtain activi[ies," lie st.1tC'd, "If the
Bureau is rriven special powcr to invcsti~.1te (nctivities not f'ubjcct to the
pennI Inl'/) il would be in the position of hnvinJ! n mass of mnt0rinl with whieh
nothing could he done, bccause there is no leg-islation to tnke cnrc of it." On
Jnmi:lry.2, 1~32. Hr, lIoovcr directed n mprnOl~andum to the Attorney Genernl
in regard to the proposed legislation nnd noted:
"The conditions (relntivc to investil!ntions for the
purposc of prosecution) will m.1tcriall~' dif(('r werC'
thc ]\\lrenlJ to ('mh.1I'k upon n polie~' (1f inypstivativc
activity into conditions which. f!'Oln a F('rkr:11 sl:1ndpoint,
have not ).)ppn dccl:1red iJl('/T:1] nnd in connection
wilh which no prosecution mir~hl bc instituted, '1'he
Department nnd the nure:JlI would undouhtedly he
subject to· chnrr!cs in lhe rnntlel' of allr'r~cd SCCl'et nnd
undcsil'ablc mr!thods in connection with investi(!ntive
Ilctivitics, as well n~ to :J1Jcr~:ttions invo!vinr:; charges
of the use of 'Agents Provocateur, '"
In October, J933, nirector Hoover submitted a memorandum to
William Stanley, ..:\ssistnnl to the Atlorney Gener:l! .. to ndvise of n meeting with
!mmigration SCl'vice personnel reprcsenting the Commissioner General of
I,UV .1 l!!/J
1•- U'I j, - 9 -

557
)mmi~ration yl11N('in (loover waS told hy th('se p('r~Olu; that "the I'r('sidenl
had inelicated II e1rsi,.(~ that a joint invesli/~alionhe made hy the Immir-ration
f1uthoriliC's lind by this Ilivision of the ~Jnzi propo~nndfl in this country,"
lIoover advised that he responded;
"I informe\1 (the meC'UnrJ thnt we had received
ill this Department n numl,e)' of requests for investir~
ations of this chnracter from outside pnrlies, but that
to r1nte no viol;ltions of n Fcdcral criminal stntute
Ilad !>cC'n submittcd, nnel consequently nO investigation
hnd hcen initintcd, I stnled further that I hnd not
reccived any 1V00'd from the Attol-ney Genel'nl indiqnting
thot any action should be taken in'this maller ,"
On October 7, 1933, CongrC'~sman Sam'uel flickstein enlled n
subcommittee of tIC C0mmitt"c on Immirrrntioll to investilrnle thc Nnzi movement
nnd 1'C(Jucstcd J'.I:enls from the BUl'eau to assist in the investiv.;:tion, 'I'll!?
r~quest was e1eni(~d through the Attorney Grnel'al, On the other hanel, when
o war/'ant wns issueel fOl' Heinz Spanknoe!>el. a (;errn:lI1 opel'ative. fol' violation
of Section 2~3 of TillC' 22, and ('c)l1r!ressman Dickstein requested assistnnce'
in ]oc:"tin[!" the fUl'itive, the Dil'ectol"S nole on a m"mol'nndum of l"m'cmher 20,
] 933. l'ends, "SC'c thi'll f'\,pry pffort i~ n':l':](, to 0ffcc! ~p:,:~~:!~::::~bcJ'e :::~l'C~~ ;f
he is slill in lJ, S,. 12/5/33, ,1 ,F. ,II," Wh0re l:nvs \\'CI'() violnted, there was
no hesitancy to enter an investi!!"ation of Nazi or communist activity.
On March 28. 19~4. ~'r. /loover atlended nn exceutive meeting
with the ,1louse Committce on Accounts, Conp.Te,ssrnan Wlll'ren, rhail'mnn,
wherein he W,1S queriN! as to what inveslir:ation the IlIll'CIlU had conducted
rev,nrdinv, "Nazi activilies. Communist nctivities, and other subversivc
movC'ments, and further. whethel' the clllTvinr: on of fin investil!nlion b~' thc
Conl'ressionnl Committee under the Dickstein Hcsolution (would interfcre),"
II!? reported to the Mtol'l1ey Gen.,,'nl thnt his rcsnon;;c wns that no such investirrations
wel'c beinr~ eonducted ns no laws had becn violated. save in the
SpanJ;noebel e:lsr,. Ill' fUI'ther rl'pOI'lrd to the Attol'n0~' \.C'ncrnl that n request
lwcl nlso ue()n m:ide by the ('ommitlee fOl' Agent assistanel' in the ermrrrcssional
invcslir{ation and he l1:1d spoJ<cn 'a~:ail1st this proccdure ns it WIlS not a "factfindinl{
investir,ation" for the purpose of prosccution,
It would appc:I!' that the policy of the Ikp:'I'lrnl'nt and th(' Bureau
\Vould l"'cclude enlry inlo nny !!"e/leral 01' i/lIC'J1if?"ence-t~'r)(' investigations of
the, Nazi or radical Illovem()nts. However. evcnts werc s\)on to transpil'c which
'I' \)J"\."l,I
1- IJ I.
- 10 -

558
\'ICI'e to Cntl.~e ,1 cl"pnl'tllre fJ'om previous policy rcstrictinrr invcslipltions 10
potelltinl via-Intiolls of l:,ws !'elnlin[! to clonlf'stic S(,cu!'it~," })irect instructions
frolll the l'l"c.';iclcnt fanned Ihe I>nsis fOl' limited int(!llir;cnee-lypc investir~nlioll
of thc Nnzi nll,,'elllent in 19:H nnr., in 19:)(" for hro:lder investi[!ation of subvcrsivc
nelivities in the United Stntes, pnrticulnrly Fnscism nnd communism"
Thc followillp: IIwtcri:11 \'Iill .'xpJ:Jin this clepnrtul'e frorn previous policy,
prcdicnLc' IIpon the iS~'\lance of l'resid0ntinl illstl'uctions direclly relating 10
thc Chief Executive's constilutional I'esponsibilities"
Oil ~lny 8, 1a31, ~!r. 1I00v('r uppcnl'ed nl n cpnfcrcnce nl The
White 1I0use nllcntlecl !>y l'l'esidr>nt Franklin n" Roosevell, the Allorney
Gellel'"I, Ihe Sccrelnry of the Treasury, the Sec!"et.;]ry of Lnbor, nnd thc
Chief of Ihe Secrct Service" The topic 'of concern \'Ins Ihe Nnzi ~ovcm('nt in
Ihe Unilcd Sl:,tcs" As n rcsuJ[ of the conference, !'roovc)' recorded on ~'ny Ill,
1931:
" ... it is dcsired thnt n very cnreful and searching
invcstiJ~:Jlion be rn:lde of this movement, with particu],1l'
ntlcnlion to be given to nclivitirs illdieatin[! thnt either
the !;ermnn Embnssy 01' the Germnn C'onsulntes Ihroughout
Ill(' T'nited Slates mny have connectlOn with this
movement. "
Mr. 1I00ver continued.
"llll'as ar;reed thnt it would be desirnh18 to hnvc
one c]earinf! housl! fOl' illfol'm.1tion upon this activity,
lJud since' (he only Fe'de!'nl Inw Ow( might hI! n[JpJienbl(?
to it :Jl Ihe present time' wnllJd he the IlT'rnigTCllion J.nw,
it WClS decided by lhl! I'!'esidcnl Owt C'nJonel ~!ncCl)rmncJ{,
Commissioner of lmlllip:rntion and Nnturnlizntinn, wouJd
eonf('1' wilh ~lr, Mor:IIl, C'hief of the Se'cret ~e!'viec,
lind myself at all ('al'ly dale. fm' til(> purpose of \','Orkinrr
out the details of this investij"('utive nctivity.
~"'"I, .
,iI
"111m desirous thllt you iJP.medintely prepare
eonfidentinl instructions to all of OUl' field offir:es,
dire('tinr~:(hern to initintl! .1n intensive il1l'eslif!ation
of :Jelivities of Ihc Nnzi rq'oup, with p.1rtieulnr
I'efe!'('nec to the nnti-l'nei:Jl activilies :Jnd nllY nnfiAlllel'iclin
activities hnvinr: nny possihll! connection
\'lith officinJ !'cpI'esenlnl il'es of Ihe (;(,I'mnn r:overnment
in the Unitcd Stalcs;
rIJI -)J

559
• * *
"Thc investir:;ntion ~hotlld be eon~idercd ns Il socoiled
int"lJir,ence investif!:Jtion. that is to S3Y. the
reports should be prepar'ed in one r,-cneral summary
ilt specified intervals in order that the Attorney
General mny have them mnde available. and in turn
make them avoilable to the President."
On IIIay 10. 1034. instructions went to ;111 ,field offices to conduetan.
'lntensive inv~stigntfo~;(thc't:3zimovement with pnrtieulnr reference to nntiracial
and anti-i\rn('ric~ln activities havinr; :ll1Y possible connection with official
representatives of the Gcrm:m Governmcnt in the l'.nitcd States, '
It is readily rcco;"T1ized thnt this PresitlcntinJ instruction \,::]s not
a swe('pinf~ ~llld r,-cllcrnl nssignrr.r'nt to conduct c!c·lll'stic seeuri tv intellicencc
investi[:":Jtions. but !'nthcr tn conduct nn inlcllir;cncc iJl".'estir.ation within
sp::ciiil'd rUidciines. ;-Ionellwless, here. l>ased upon n Prcsidential nireetive,
tllC? llure3u depal'tec] from pnst stntutory policy and i101fT>ccli.1tely initiated ,1n
intelJir;ence inv~stic':ltion, I'.'l1ieh by nl?ce~sity. invoh'ed nliens :1l1(! !'nitecj'Stntes
citize:ls and \'.'.1S cor.ducted 1'01' the prinwI'y PUI'pose of info/'min", (he ,\ttorney
Gener3l and the l'l'esidcnt as to the ~eneral activitics of the m0\'e101ellt.
I
This im'cstigation of the !'~azi movement. eonductcd nJong the
specified 1rUidclincs set by the President. v:as not e):p:1I1ded to includl? investir.
ation of such communist 01' r3uical movements whose purpose it \','us to overthrow
the Government. In u Jnemornndum eluted October 9. 1935, fOl' the
Actinr; Attorney General. the Director noted in his response to :I St:tt~
Depnrtment inquiry as to the feusibility of exchunging radical informntion
with forcirrn policcsourccs:
- 12 -
"At the presl'nt time the investirr~ltive activity
of this Bureau is rest rielI'd • in matters of this kind
(communi.~l unu rndical malleI'S) to those uctidties
which constitute", violation of some Federal statute.
'rhe only Fe-del'al statutes [~encr,1lly considered ns
opplienlJle" to such mntters nrc Chosc rd1tinl! to
tl'enson, snbotarrc. espionar.c, and the tl'ansportation
of munitions of wnrfnrc (0 thosc nations which are
the subject of n Presidential p/'oc!amalion prohibitinr.
such shipment of munitions of war. In the absence
of ony Federal statute specifically pcnalizing the
,,:.)\, ;, l!il5
I- ,)
) "I..
J

560
Communistic or other radical activities aiml'd at
the ovcrlill'ow of tile l,ovr,rnmf'nl, no invcsti['"[,tion
is eonducle·] inlo such 1TI:1tlers, in view of the
absence of the necess.1ry clements to estnbJish a
violation of the Treason stntute,
"Very little information is obtained by thi3 nllrenu
relatinp," 10 the netivilies of these ]'adical oq:anizations,
which advocale the overthrow of the J'nited ~l:Jtes
GOVI'.':'llfllcnt, It follows, of course, that i.nforrn:1t;')n
of this kind is of no value whcn existill!! Jaws do not
permit n jll'osecution of, the pcrsons' eng-a(!'c'd in
advoc:Jlinf': the ovcl'throw of the l,qvel'nment, and
conseejucntly, if informntion is l'cceived in foreirrn
countries coneerninr!' OITDniz:1tions. h:1vinp: for their
purpose tl1e ovel'throw of the Feder:11 Govel'nm<:'nt nnd
this information is ll'nnsmilled to this DUl'eau, the
P,u)'e:1u would, of eOI1)'Se, be pOll'c'rless to net upon
the inform:1tion furnished, unless it constituted some
violntion of a Federal stMule within the nUl'cau's
jurisdiction, 1 will, however, be [!Ind to recei'.'e
[it nny time' I jnfn!'m~~!0n from ~r:y ~C::·c:;:;-; po1icc
dc'pnl'tmenl, which pcrtnins !o oqulnizalions estahlished
for lhc rur]Jose of atlempting' to ovel'thro\\' this
Govel'nr.1ent, nnd I'lill in the event tl1C P,ul'cau can
tnJ:e no nction upon the informntion furnished transmit
the information to those GovcmmentnJ ,1J!encies who.
may be intel'ested in the materinl ohtained,"
As lnte as ,Jnly 13, 1936, eOl'l'espondence with v1ll'ious partie,s
reveals thn[ thc nUl'cau wns conduetin~ no ~ener:1l intelli~en<:'e inves!i~ations
coneel'nin~ communism nnd radicals,
Once :1[",1in, howevel'., ns in J934, a specific Directive from the
President ch:1nf'crl the investir,ativc policy towal'ds conrluetin(! intellir~ence
inveslirrntions of comJnunis! nnd radicnl activities, (On J\U(;llst 7.·1, 1936,
Director lIoov('r, repI'l'scntin~ thl' Dl'p,1J'tml'nt in thp Attorney (;pnernJ's
IJbsencc, was 1;\IInmonpd to' The \':hite fJousc hy I'l'csie'Cllt Hnosevl'J(, As
rcf!cc!N! ill lwo nWIl10J':lJHla by \11', l/onver', <tatl'd J\ \l(!ust 24 nml J\\Ir!\lst 25,
1936, the I'l'esidcnt "wns desirous of cliscussinr; the qups!ion of the subversive
"ctivities in the lInitc<t S!:,tcs, p:1I'licul:lI'ly Fnscism nnd romrn\lnism," l/OOVCI'
recorded lhal lhc Pl'csidelll sluled he had been concerned ubout the communist
,.-.,"\ rr~'v'
.. ' ,I'!l
- 13 -

561
and fos,cist movements nnd "whnt he was interested in wns obtnining- n broad
picture of the w~n"r.11 ffiovcm('nt .1nd ils :lCljviti,,~ .1$ may nffect the "('onomie
llnd politic:lI life of the countl'Y itS 11 whole," 1I00ver continu"d. "I tolil him
Ihnt there is :1! the prcscnt ti,:Jc no fTov('rnment:Jl 0I'/'.111izatioll Which is f!cttinr.
ony Go-collcd 'g-cneral inlellir:ence infol'fllation' lIi,on this subject. lie inquired
what SU[~r;csljons I mir.h! Orfel' re1:ltive to this malter," Hoover recorded that
he responded to the President os follows:
"I tolel him that the nppl'opri:1tion of the Federa!
Burenu of Investigotion eontoins a provision that it
lIli~ht invcstih'ate nny matter:; rdcr:l'eel to it by the
Depal'lmC'nt of Slate and that if the St.1!e Tlep:lI'tment
shoulel a~k for lIS to conduct such ':m in\'estir..1tion we
could do so under our present autilOz'ity in til"
nppl'opri::l ion .,lr('n<!v r,!",nted," ()::r.ph.:l-;;-isAdded)
r.llln)' who ha\'!' quickly re;!d throuo;h this sentence :lI1rl compm'ed
it to the ovcl'nll subjcct rn:Jttel' of the con[crence draw the irr.n"c1ir.te conclusion
tl13t since the pl'o\'is:ons of the ,.IPPl'orri.1lio:1s Act WCl'P' reliNJ on. ancl si~ce
the See)'etary of State r.l:Jde the request. it nntur:Jlly follow0d th:;t Statp. and
the President \\,p.r~ interested in only forei!!n M fordr.-n-rontrolled subversion.
On careful rending. :ll1d ex:unin'llion in lient of th.~ hiQoric sdtinrr. it is
0PP:11'0!1t th(!t the PJ'csidcnt :1nd Hoov("I' \':(~l'C tnn:j~:!~ ;Ihout ii.0:H:y. not
jUl'isdictional limits, The President wanted a bro~!d i"telli("l'nce investig-ation
conducted not for purposes of prosecution nnd i;lquirl?d of floover if the! FJ3l
could supply the prOduct, Hoover responded hy iniorminr; the Pl'esidcnt thnt
money IHid been npproprinted hy Con);ress ,under the ApprGpriiltions Act and
to nctivate the prc1Visions for justifiably usinrr the funds would requl::e n
request from the Secretary of State, The FBI could. of course. conduct 110
investirrntions fOl' \'!hieh Conp.Tess had not provided approprintions, The
final topic discussed nt the AUp,".Jst 2·1. 1[l3G. meetin!!,' \,:ns lhr< President '5
desire thnt I!oovel' coordinate tll(! investi~ution with the "~lilit:Il'Y and Naval
lntelJig-ence Services,"
On AUf'ust 25. the T'rl?sidenl. Sl?erdnl'Y of Stnte nne! the Director
met ot The White lIouse, The l'l'esiclent r(')atec! his concel'n over communist
nnd fnscist ncti"ities :ll1d,' necordinf' to /(oove/', stated that he WIlS "very
dcsil'ous of hnvinr. a survey mnde of these conditions nnd infol'rnrd the
Secretary of Stale lhat lh{s sUI'vey could be mnc!e hy the nC'partment of
Justice if the Sccretnt'y of State rrq\lel'ted the Ocrartrncnt to conduct the
inquiry under the Fill Appl'oprilltions Act." lie further recorded thnt such 0
" l?ij - 14 -

562
request from St;]te would be fully jllstifinbl~ ;md Jorricnl ns these movements.
Jporlielllorly communism. w~re internotion:ll jn scope and, therefore, fell
within the interests of forei~n dfoirs "over which the State flcportment would
hove n ri g'ht to request nn inquiry to be made." .
It is clear that the involvement of the State Depnrtment in the initial
crron[;emcnt die! not serve in some W;)y to limit the scope of 'he investi[iation
to foreign or foreir,n-eontrollcd aetidties to the exclt:sion of domestic. The
President desired "0 brood picture of tile [renernl move::-.ent and its nctivities
as rn.1Y offeet the economic ;mc! political life of the country as. 0 whole," And
there is nothing- contoip.cd in his request to sU[iges: the intent to exclude
dorr.estic security intelligence covernge.
r.lr. Iloo\'er's understanding of his nssi,mrnent is illustrated in
a memorancum to one of his nssist:lnts d::!ted Sppterr.be·r 10, 1036, whel'ein he
stntcd he discussed the President's orders "lo have il1\'es!i[!aticn mnoe of the
subversive activities in this country, includinG: Commur.ism nnd Fascism"
with t:te Attorney Genernl nnd was !=riv(m his concurrence. The former
Director's understanding as to the scope of the President's instruction is
further refJected in a memorandum to FIJI field offices. doted September 5.
1936, which states in part:
"The Bureau desires to obtain from all possible
sources in:orr.:ation conccrnin~ sub':ersive activities
being conducted in the United Stntes by COr:1munists.
Foscisti, O:1d rep:,esentntives or ndvoc:ltes of other
orr;nnio:otio:1s or groups adYocoting the o\'erthrow
or replncement of the Government of the t'nited States
by ille[::ll methods, No investi[.;ation should be initiated
into cases of this kind in the absence of specific
/Iuthorization from the Bure:lu, but you should forward
to the IJureau infor:nation obtained from all sources.
nnd in those cnscs in which investi!,ation is desired
the .Bureau will issue appropri:lte instructions to
you. It is desired. aceordill[ily. that you immediately
transmit to the RI;~eau any informotion relating to
subversive ndivitics on the p.wl of nny individual
or or[l':lnization. rerrnrdless of the source from which
this information is received."
The entry of the Bureau into the new field of domestic security
intellir,enee investig:ltions neeessitnled the erenlion of ndministrative procedures
tohondle th~ i.!'15?minr, informntion. By memorandum doted Au[;Ust 28. 1936.
- 15-
1-..151

563
Dn 1l5sistantsuumitled n tentative OUllillf! for the monner in which it W;JS
i'eeommendcd in[nl'lI1ntion concerninr~ ~l:hvcl'sive activities be mnint(iined
ot lIendqunrtel"s, lie outlinec1 the followinr, "rrenernl elassifientions":
hlllritime InrJustl-y, (;overnment nffnirs, steel industry, coal industry,
newspaper field, clothing-. r;armcnt nnd fur industry. ~encrnl strike
netivities, Arllled forces, edueationnl institutions. irener'al activities-Communist
and A(filinlec! Ol'~lnizntions, f:Jseisti. Anti-F:Jscisti movement,;.
Dnd neti\'itics in Orr;nnizcd Lnbor orpni7ations, ~Ir, Hoover noted on the
memorandum tlwt this W:JS :J [.:ood bcr;inninrr,
In this mnnner then, the Hllre:Jlt entered fully into the field of
domestic security intellirrenee investi!£ntions,
By lell(']' of October 20, 1933, Attorney General flomer lummirrrs
forwnr'ded to llll" rl',,~;i(!ent n rn"mor:JIHlllIn fr'C'm Dir",,:ol' 1'00\'('1" wherein IIG,,':e:outlined
for the President the r,'enel'nl scope of tt..! FBI intellir'''nee dfnrt nne!
'the lll'enS of cove'raGe being aflonlcd, This memorandum rends in part:
"The purpose of this mcmornndum \'.'ill he to
present the present pU:'poses nnd scope of the three
phases of domestic jntellj~ence hnnrJled by the three
inlc]Jig':'~cc GC:-\-:ccs cf ~!lC tT:~it~c ~t~tC$ Gc\·crn~e!'1t,
namely. tile ~lilitrll'Y lntellir;ence flivision; tiTe O{fice
of Naval Intelligence; and the Federn) Dureau of
Investi~ntion. torrethel' with suv,gestions (or expansion
lind such iurthel' cool·din.1tion as may be effected
along' this general line,
"Section I
"The Present Set-I'D and Purposes
"Federal Bureau, of Invcstig'nlion;
:i' )'/ :, \cJi'i
,",I
"In the Federal Burenu of fnvcstir;ntion ns n
pnl't of its,lnvestir,'ntive nivision therl' is a G"ncl':l1
InlelliRcnce Section, The function of the "enel'1I1
Intelli(:cnee Section is'to collcet throul~h inv(!slir:
ative llciivity nnd other' contnct lind to cOl'l'elnte
COl' I'endy rcference irifnrmation dc:t1in[! with vnrious
Corms of activities of either' 0 subversive 01' n socolled
intellir,ence type. In addition to the limited
- 16 -

, ;I~:I' ," .
}!·HJ
564
pel'sonnel of the Hureau fci\'inr; their full time to this
work, <:?ach of the forty-fi\''' field divisions hos
developcd cDn1.1ct with v:Jrious persons in proiessiono).
business. and Inw enforcement fields for the purpose
of obtnining" infornwtion .-lIong the lines above indicated.
"In order that there Inay be a clear view ')f the
detailed informntion covered, there is set forth the
follow ill!; bl'ea):-up of til,: various suiljects that
oppenI' in' the files of the IntcllirrenceS<:?ction;
~loritirnc; r:;overnmcnt; industry (c,tccl. nlJtor;1(Jhile,
cool mining-, ,md miscellancous); ['eneral strike:
orllled forces; "c1UC.1tioll.l1 institutions; Fnscisti;
Nozi; or,~nniZC'd In!Jor; i\'(Or~roes, youth; strikes;
lIC\,;Sp:1pel' field; and miscel1.1ncou c . r\ny infor-
'mntion of a s\lbversj.,·e or !;en'!ral iritellir;ence
chDrn~tcr pertaininr; to nny oi the aeove is reeei':ed
at the FBJ ilc:1dquo1rters nt thl' SC'lt of CO\'ernmcnl :1nd
is reviewed. summarized, nnd plnecci upon editorial
cords which :1re filed by l1:1me of the subject matter,
os wclJ as by name cf the individual, so that it is
cnli~'e]y pos~il"'ll':' to find jn the ind~x the ('o)lcction
of names of individuals cn~ar;cd in any particular
activity. eithe)' in .-my section of the country or in
n par'ticulal' indllstry or movement. Indicative of the
present sizc of this index. th~re nrc approximately
2.500 names now in the index of the various types
of individuals en[;agoed in activ'ities of Communism.'
Nazism. and various types of,foreign espiona[;e .
. "In addition to the above informntion thnt has been
collected, the FBI has developed a r.lther f'xtC'nsive
li!>rary of I!eneral intelli[.'encc matters. includings;
xty-five daily, ,wcel<1y, and monthly publications,
as well ns f1wny pomphlets and volumes dealinr: with
rreneral in,eIJi"ence activities, All of thcse have been
indexed not only as tq tille and authol', but have been
clnssiiied as to nnme and subject, and supply n fertile
field of inJol'mntion on the subject of r~cncr<J1 intellilrence
C1ctivitics in this coun1ry.
- 17 -

I, I: I 1,;,
565
"from Ihe materilll collected. hoth from nn investilj:Jtive
point of view 35 well as fl'om the research angle of the
Iibrnr)'. vaJ"ious ehorts orr prepn,'ed from time 10
time to shol'l the (;"rol'lth Dnd extent of cerlain activities,
• • *
"SCCtiOll II
"Propo"cl! Exnansiolls
n At the present time the three intellil";"nce services.
nnmely. the ~1ilitary In\ellil!ence. Ornce of ~:a\'al (
IlltcJlir~ellce. Dnd the rJlI. !:.n·e d('velopccl :J close
I\nd coordinatcrl pl:lI1 of eCQ~el'ntion. not onl~' nt the
he"dqu:lrtcrs in \','nsiJin;'lon, but in, muny oi t)leir
Corps nrc.1". 1\,1\,,11 l!j!"l:,kt.~, .1nrl l'ic!ci l!j','jsin!1S
within the Jirait:llions of such personnel ns is no\\'
I\vnilnble. ". Likewise, info!'mntion thnt is ;'eccived
by anyone of the three hrcnches of the intellig-ence
service of intercst to :lIlY of the other hranches. is
mncle immerlintely avnilnbl<:>, so tll:!t there docs exist
tocto)' n structure of coonJination and cooperation thnt
hos been in operntion for many ycnrs nnel hns been
worldnr: nssntisfnctorily ns could he expceted under
the Iimitntions of personnel nnd appropriations 3S have
existed in Ihe past,
• * *
"(0) L:lI'! and funds
"Such expansion in thc Ftll ns fT':I)' be dcsil'r.cl nnd
may become necessary e:1I'1 he covered, it is helieved.
\l11(\er lll'('sent provisions e:dsti"'~ in the lInl1unl
IlPPI'Opri;ldnns bill of the l'ecler:lJ nllrc:lu of II1\'esti!:,
nlion. in which the following- l:lnmJnf~e npP(';II's:
'., .for such othcr invr:slil::Ilions ref!'ardinrr official
molters under the control of the Dcpal'tment of
Justice 3110 the Dep.1rl!nent of St:ltc as may he
dirceted by the AltOl'lIPY Cp.l1cl'al,· Under this
provision investiIT:llions hnve heen conducted in
, , ,.yem's past fOl' tllc State D('pnrtment of m.1lters
,,' ,'i~hich do not in thernsclv('s constitute n specific
, violation of a Federal C"iminal Statute. sueh ns
- 18 -

566
subversive nctivitics, Consequently, this provision
is helieved to be sufficiently bro:lcI to cover
ony cxp"ns.'on o[ the prc"ent intel1ir~encc nnd cQunterespionng'e
work which it mny he deemed necessnry
to corry on.
., * *
"In con",iderinr; the st('ps to be tnk ...·n ";,r the
exponsion of the present structure of inte11ir;-encl'
\'Iork, it is beli ... \'ed im[w!'ntiv... tlw: it be proceecled
with the utmost c!cp:!'ce o[ scer"ey in ord... r to
avoid cl'iticism or ohjl:elions which mir;ht h('
raised to such lin e;,!),~nsion by either ill-infOl'mcd
person", or indivi':u:i1s h:1':ill:' ;:'.'rc," ulterior moiive,
The word 'espionn~e' has lonl;" bCl:n a word that
llbS bec'n replWlJant 10 the ,,\olel':C<1n people fInd ii
is belil:ved that the st!'lletllre \'.'h~ch is c:Jrendy in
e>:ist('nee is much bronder than espiollll(('''! or eounterespionnge,
but covers in a true sense real in:elli;renee
value:; to the thl'ee s.~rvices intercsted, nnmely, the
Navy, the :\rmy. md t!le civilinn hl·fInr.h of the
Government--the llepfIl'lll'cnt of .Justice. Consequently.
it would seem undesirnble to seck only specinl legislation
which would draw nttention to the [<1ct thnt it wns
proposed to devclop n special counter-espionage drive
of lIny great magnitude,"
Hoover thus confirmed in ,detniled. nnel ostensive mnnner nl1t"nly
thc mechanics and procedul'cs established to carr.ply with the President's
instructions, but also r,~\'ealed in his memorandum fI clenr insir;ht into his
understnndinr: of the SCOPf" o[ the investirratian ordel'"d hy thC" Chi"f Executive.
President lloostlvl'lI, on :\ovcmoc1' 2, 1~3S, person,1Jly ndvised the fOl'mer
Director thnt he qpprovecl of IIoo\;er's plan, thus confirminrr that there was n
meetina o[ the minds among the pl'imnry participants. ~·rr. Poover reeol'ded
on I\ovembel' 7. 1938, that on j;ovembcI' 1. J(\3S. he wns eallr.rI hy :'.!r. Enrl)',
Seel'etary to the President'~ who told IIooVC1' thnt the Presid,'nt desired that he
board the PI'esidentinl Special Tl'ain on }:ovember 2, 193S, far a conference
with President Hoosevcll.' ~11'. Enrly wns unaw:JI'c of the topic to be discussed
01' whether ~ll', 1I00\'el' wns to necomp"ny the PI'csidcnt to lIydc Pnrk.
1111'. IIoover's memorandum recording this conference reods in port:
1
:.1
!Hi" :i tWi
,I
f, ;',
- 19 -

567
"Secondly. the l'l'('~,idl'nt mlvised me that he had
that day eommunicntl'd I'lith the )1ireetor of the nUd~c.l.
~1J', Hell. and instrue!pu him to include in the
Approprintion e~;[imates ~:.O ,000 for ~'ilil:lI'Y Intellir:
enc:e, ~50. 000 for N.1vnl Inlellircenee, lind
$150,000 fOl' the Fedcl'nl Burcau of Investip.-ation
to handle eOl;nter-espional!e activities, 1''' stated
that hc lind approved the plan which I had prepared
lind W Ideh hlld becn sent to him by the A\torney
Grne)'nl, exccpt t;lnL he hml not been able to p.-rnnL
Lhe enti,'e amount of m0ney indicated as necrssnry
for eneh of the tllree nr-encies, hut had authorized I
thc nmount which lle stated 'le nclv'iscd >.11', 1"1"11 to
includc, '" The' sp('einl train WIIS held until the
confcrcnce with the' President wns concluded and I
left the train at New Y0rk,"
The world siluntion stendily wOl'senen durinI{ the 1!l30's. )lclolf
Hitler ros(' to POWCI' in (;rl'mnny; Italy turner! 10 Fnscism; Hussinn commun,ism
wns threntenill[!; nnd ,lapnn made overturClS of imperinlistic expansion.
/luslr,n joined the Thi I'd lleich in March, 19.18, .111(1 rzechoslovnldn wns
occ·uJ,ied on ~~(;I)tc:m~i(:j' 30. jh~ ;.h160Cuw-Bcrlin Non-i\~rrr(!~sion ['net of
AUirust 23. 1939, nli!!ned hoth the Nnzi and commnni!'t forces nnd on September I,
1939, I'olnnd was attncl,ecl by Germany" Dritnin lind France, nllied ngninst
GerlT'uny, d('cllll'Cld war and on S('plC'mber 17, Russia also invaded Pf\Iit.h soil.
Border nlltions toppled 10 eithe)' Hllssia or G('J'mnny in succcssion. Amid Ihis
chnolic worlll situntion the llnil('d Slales allempled 10 slnnd neulJ'nl; nevertheless.
Ihe dlll1r,'er of p'olelllial espionage, 5abotlltre, and subversion WIIS of pOl'nmount
concern,
As the intellif!C'nce find law enfOl'cement nr,eneiC's, hoth FpcJeral
lind slntc, ~cnr'ed to ml'('t the antieipntecl sahotnr.c and SUbVcl'sive threats, it
soon becnme nppnl'ent thnt the lessons of World '-!ar I wcre nol \\'rll lelll'ned by
most. Various 1'!~clernJ invcsli!!afivc nl!cnciC!s commenced lJllC'oordinnted nnd
decenlrali",ed invcslil!aliOll of rcports or subversion. Some ('ven pl'ompt"d
loenl eilizens' f~"'OUPS to assist thC!ir C'fft:ll'ts, milch )'cmini,<;cent of the )lmericnn
Protective I.(,f1~IIC! lind VnJ';OIlS ,1c1 hoc 1~I'Ollps fO!'lllN] fOl' Ihnt .'::Hne purpose
dlll'illl! WOI'ld'W<l-!' r, III J'('sJ)()lls(' 10 thil; I'Towill!,: pl'o\)I('I11. 11,c nllrenu
reeomlllcnded l"l~J1,('(linJ action throlll!h the AtlOI'Il('Y l~enC!ral whic:h re5ulted
in n lellcr daled FC'bJ'lJ:1J')' 7, 1~:l~. bcinl! dirC'dcr) to vllrioll.': Federnl
depm'tlllclll hC'uds fl'om .1oseph n, )(eennn, Assistant Lo the A!torney General,
which slnled in pnrt;
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Fi.3 I,
66-077 0 - 76 • 37

568
"I lake plC:lsul'e in infn!'min{; you lhal iii roor'<!!'n(ion
with the l\1ilitm'¥ lnl<!llij~(:nce l1ivision of the! Will' nep:lrtO1p.
nt. the Federal Bureau of lrweslir!ntion of the neparlment
of JU1';lice hns under!.1!(Cn to inve."li[!I,le mnltcrs l'<!J.1lin(; to
espionnrre lind subversive nclivities,
")1) order thllt such mnlters he hnl)c1lecl l'>:pediliously.
it will he aj'Jpl'eeinted if you will ins!l'llcl your personnel
thaI in ense nny infol'lnntion i<; l'C'cl'ivcd conecrninrr the
nbove-Illcntioncd rnntlr!I'" such infol'mntie;n should he
pl'omptly fOl'1'lIll'ded to the nr.Ol'est .field office of the
Fcdero! Hureau of lnvestir,-ation,"
!Iel'e is lhe fil'st cfforl of Ihc T·r.portmrnl nncl lhe FnI 10 prevent the
confusion, clel,1yS, and viol:llion of pel'son,1J l'ir,-hts 'incident to such inveslir,-alions
dllrinr~ the previous Wtll', The Oepnrtment 11l1c1 th.~ 11m'cau snw enid lo[!ic in
this appl'oach as, since "'\II r, the FBI had bcen the Jll'ime mechanism for the
invcstirrntion of e,;pion:llre. snbotn"e', tlnd rdnted stntutory violntions nnd.
since 1936. in conjunclion with the mililnl'y nnc1nnvnJ intellig-enee serviee~.
hod becn condllctinp-' domestic inteltir.-ence invc,;tirrofions, f."condl~', the
Deporlmcnl wns responsible for prosecutions of such st:ltutory violnlions nnd
Ole i,iiorney Gp.ncrni iJad been lI'orJdnr.- closely in lhe field of intel1i~C'ncc
investi(!ations. Thirdly, lhe FBI's intern.11 composj(jon, ,1dminisll'nli\'c
slructure, nnd cnpahililies were ,;uch ns to mnke il the loMca! n[!eney to
conduct nationwide. effective, cenlrnlized inveslignliem of such malters,
Neverthp.Jess, the lettcr of Fehl'\wl'y 7, 1939, wns \'i)'lually ignOl'cd
by olher a~encies, and a cumbersome committee system, under the direction of
thc Unrlersccrelar:.' of Stnte, wns inaur,'lIrnled, The committee was composed of
represcnlnlives of the \l'nr, 1':avy. TI'ensl1:y, Post Office, and .Justice n"plJl'lmr.nts.
in addition to (lie Slale lli'!lIll'(m('n(, whosi' function it was tn I'ec<'ivp. infor'matinn of
o subversive nature. make nn ,n,aly,;is, nnd then fo!'wnrd lhe mattei' to the nf!p.ncy
d('emed most suiti'd to hondle the invP'';lig'o!ion, The bull( of the malleI'S were
refCJTl'd to the FJlJ and the mililll"'Y l!lIe! n:I\'.11 inlcllif~encc scrvices, TIl(>
previous nrr:lnf(cmenl. based on the PI'cside'nl's desil'cs of 1936. \'!ns completely
ir;nol'cd, cnusin[! a waste of prior dfnrls and nccumulnlcd infol'malion, dclays
in referrn! of cases. nnd general confusion,
The J]epm'tmi"ont ond flureau ]wcp,"'ec! n mcmornndum dated
,Tunc 5, 1939, eont;linjnf~ idC'ns and 1'C'cOnl111('11l1t1tions to he presented to lhe
I'rcliidcnt in on erforl 10 rcsolve the controvcrsy,
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569
"1'01' the reasons outlined .,hove it is recommcnded
thot two definite stcps he: t:il\cn--first. thnt the interdepnrtlltentnl
committee described in the [i"st pnror,-:'uph
of this memorandum be nbnndoned and th<lt in its plnce
Ihe investir;ation of nil espionnr;e, eounler-espionnrre
nnd sabotnrrc cnses be controlled in the Intel1il!ence
Divisions of the \'.'ar nnd :':nvy Depnl'trnents nnd the
Federal nurc"u of lnvestip'"ntion nnd Ihnt ihe directors
of thcsc thl'C ',encies function i~ the cnp:leity of n
,committce to (',-,ordinate the activities of the three'
ar;encics nOlllrot!, Second, thnt con,iidenti:') instructions
should be issued by th'e President to thehcnds of nIl
f:"ovcrnmcnt (~cpnrtments exr.cpt I""nr. ~:nvy, nnd
Justice. instructin(f that nbsolutc)y no invcslirrntions
shnll be conduct",] by t!;c Ill\'csli:'~,ti\'c :wc:lei0s oi
:hose depill'tments into cnsf'S involvin£!" nr.tllnllv or
potentially e5piol1~[;e, countel'-e~pionrseor saootntrc.
The hends of nIl J:{ov,C"rnment departments should be
instructed in this order to refer i;r.media:ely th~our;h
existinG" channels direct to the ne.,resl office of the
Federal nure:lu of Investi~ntion nny (:otn. j;,formotic,n
or mntel'i:d pertninin[': to cases of this l"f''' , Form,,)
order en the part oj the I'l'esidenl would hordly he
needed in order to nceomplish this result. /, lJ that
would be required from him would be Q letter to each
deportment head.
IIIf the obove outlined plan is viewed with fovor; :il
will menn thnt nll intellirrence.workwithin the nrmed
fOl'ees will be handled by Ihe G-2 Section of the Wnr
Department nnd the OrfiC!! of ~nvnl Intclli[!encc of the
Nnvy J1cpnrtment nnd thnt :,ll invcsti{!n:ivc '.\"0rJ: in
rspionng'e, coulller-cspion:lI!e nnd saholllr;e e:lscs
involvin[rcivilinns will be centl'nli~ed in the
Federnl Bltrrnn'of lnvestil!ntioll, This nl'r:lnr,cmcnt
will conlinue the clos!!lv COOrc!ilwtC'rj mC"(hod of
~)p.I·ati()n,'!10W ~ cXisle;H~':. :lnrl will cnai.lle lh0
Federal )lul'eau of JnvcsliJ(ation to continue its
worl, in t'his field with continued intensity."
(Emphasis Added)
This recommended pl'OCeduI'e. concurred in b)' President r.oosevclt.
resulted in the confidentinl Presidentinl Dirl!ctive of June 20. 1939. which reuds: . \ 1 r. .
,i i ~i
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IoI.'b

570
"II is my desire thnt the investi~lltionof 011 espion:l~e,
counlercspion;'I;c. ann s:l!lolarrc mntters be contl'olled
Dnd hondled uy the Fedel':l! ['UI'CIlU of lnvcsti~;jtjon
of the Departnll~nt of Justice. the ~.lilitary Intellir:ence
Division of the 1I'ar Department, and the Of~jce of !,TTI';al
JnteJli~cnce of the Nnvy Il ....pnrtmenl. The dircclo)'s
of thcse three aGeneics nrc to function as n committce
to coordinatc their .:wlivities,
"No investi~ntions should he conducted by nn~'
inveslir,!llive ;'I.'ency of Ihe Government inlo maltel's
involvinf; ~ctunlly or potentinlir nny espiQnarre.
counterespionage. 01' s:Jbot<Jg'c, except by the 111l'ec'
n~eJ1cjes mentioned above.
"I shnll be' ~;lnn if yOll ~o;iJJ instruct the heads of
of nll uth"'r investic;ative arrencics than the thrce !lamed,
to refer immedi;ltely to the ne.11'est office of the feueral
Bureau of In\'esti~ation [!ny d:lta, inforr.1ntion, or
molerinl thnt mny come to their notice be3ring dir'ectly
or indirectly on espionag'e. counterespionag-e, or
snbotar;e ."
The overall problem WIIS not, however, totall)' resolved with the
Directive of June 2,;, 1939. Reports were frequently rccC'i\'ed in 11,':1shin!rton
indicating- thnt various local policc authorities were formill~ "snbotne-e squads"
nnd the like and. therefore. further clarification was deemed neces9!Jry.
The Department nnd fBI nORain went to the President to resolve the
question. fly mcmorandum to (hc Altorne)' Gencral d:ttcd Scptemher G. 1939,
former Dil"cclor Iloo\'cl' slnteu:
"Conrirminr,- the sugr,;cstiOll which I trunsmittcd
to YO\l b)' telephoile recently throu!!!! ;\11', Tromm J
believe it \,:Oll!(! be well if (he I're~idr.nt wO\lld
is:;ue n statement or reauest nddrcssed to all Dolicc
officials in: the United Siatcs and instructin b them to
turn over to the ncarest rcprcsenUHi\'c of the Fcderal
Burenu of'lllvestj~nlio~l lilly inform:ttion obtnined
pertnininr: to espionnr;e, counterespionn!:,c. s:lbotai!e,
E:ubversive uetivities and neutrality re(:Ulutions. I
,1
.'1
- 23 -
, .'
I L; 1

571
cnnnot urr~e affirmative action upon thi~ sur~~estion
too stl'onr~ly at this time, I have learned today that
Comrnissioner Vnlentine of tile New York City Police
Departmcnt h:lS erc:ltcd a speci:ll s:lhol;l(~e sqund of
fifty dctectives of the New York City Police ncp:lrtment
llnd that this squad will be a\;.r~mcnted in the l'i1ther ncar
futuI'e to compl'isc 150 mC"1, Of course. ns a result
of the crcation of this squad considerahle publicity
hns nppe:\red in thc ~cw Yor}; City new~)1,1pcrs nnd
~onscqucnl1y.much i,nform.:!(ion in t}\e h:I,nds of p'l'Ivate
citizens concerninG "nbota[:;e rm'd sabotell,TS 1-:ill be '
transmitted to the ~;ew York City Pnliec Department
rothel' than to the FHI , , In order for intcl.li\:enee work
in this field to be carded on in a comprehensive
rnanneJ' (,11 a national b:lsi< nIl infol'm:!linl1 m~l"t he
.,:,nrcfIlJly correlated in OJ'del' 10 avc,id confusion and
c11rlOs, C(lnseqllcl1ll~', I ]wlir,,'C' j' is hj;~:lJ:1 desir'able
for you to tnl,e the necessary steps to hrlve' such an ordcr
issued hy the President at the earliest possible moment."
At 6: 20 p. m. on September h. }9,19 , the Attorney General reaChed
1.11'. E. A. Tnmm. Assistant Director. and advised him as is rdlected in ~Ir. Tnmm's
rnemora:ldum dated September 6. 1939.
"The Attorney Gener:JI called and stated that the
President issued the order today. lIe stated it reads.
in part. as follows:
,1,1'" 1975
01
,. \..) ..../ I.
"'Presidcnt Rooscvelt today requI?5ted all
loenl law enforcement officers to cooperate
, with the FBI in the ell ;ve af!ainst espionflp,'e,
snbotage, subvcrsi\'e activities. and violation
of the ne\ltl':ilit~' 1:1\':s, ~lz', HoosC'velt issued
II forl11:11 stntemcnt requestinr; all police
officers. shel'iffs, end othCl' law cnforcement
officers to transmit'to the G-~,~en all
information benl'ing on such C:lScs. This
tnsk m~lst be condoctcd in fl comprehensive
lind effective manner on n national basis and
nll infol'lTllltion mll~t be carefully siftcd out
nnd co-rC'lated in ol'Clcr to nvoid confusion
lind irresponsibility. To this end I request
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