◆ SpookStack

Memorandum for the Attorney General - ws a nee A 2.2.8 dh o meetat aa This is likewise untrue but, in order to minimize the criticism as much as possible, I initiated the program a year ago transferring southern-born Agents from southern offices and replacing them with northern-born Agents. I did not think that this was a wise action to take but I took it~ i in order that the criticiam which has arisen against the Bureau initg ... - work in the civil rights field might to some degree be minimized.’ oy Pl - Now the climax seems to have finally been reached because _ last week in conferences with Blaik and Rovell the Negro leaders in eee TOW we OES EE YE Wb a PT AE SOE GS avy Gas L compatand siege Vv &4VEGVVL 4b Birmingham claimed that they could not put any reliability in the FBI because the northern Agents who have been assigned to southern offices have married or are marrying girls born in the South. I certainly do not intend to issue any orders forbidding any Agent in this service to marry a girl irrespective of where she may be born, VI think the Himit of palliation and appeasement has been reached. The Bureau has and intends — ‘ to continue to vigorously investigate any violations of the civil rights statutes which are authorized by the Department. You, no doubt, have noted that in the newspapers in the last week quite a number of Negro leaders have referred to the fact that there have been forty-six bombings in Alabama and none has been solved by the FBI. This again is a falsehood. Under the procedure set up by the Department we must submit to the Civil Rights Tivision a report on any bombing which takes place and the Civil Rights Pivision then determines whether the FBI should initiate a full and thorough investigation. Out of the forty-six bombings which have taken place in Alabama the Bureau has been authorized to investigate only five by the Civil Rights Division, Because of the contention of the Civil Rights Division, and I think a very sound one, that the law as passed by Congress which raises a presumption that the explosive used in a bombing has been transported interstate does not relieve the local or state authorities from active investigations of such bombings, in instances where there is even a substantial indication that the explosives have been transported interstate | the Department has authorized full investigations and the Bureau has made them. 1 wanted to set forth my views concerning this matter because — there is becoming more and more misunderstanding about just what the FBI's authority is and what it does and the reason why it does it. . -3-