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- STAND FL ‘Ceri cnt, O4 . . . a. ) Office Mem M2 + UNITED v1: OVERNMENT TO «oo :Mr. L. V. Boardman yt oo DATE: 1-29-55 Bourn, et FROM thir, A. He Belmont De. Hognots Mohr — e ~ qQere - rtosen nosen Baurigardier — Sizeo SICA CIVIL LiburkTins UNICN (ACLU) c Winterrowd ey ae ee eros Tay eins a vegel ag tah ae ugatae . Jubtl . interrowd —_ ANFCRMATICN CONCERNING (LATLRwAL SiscuniTy) 7 ei nen Rito _ PRI File 61-190 Gandy By my memoraidum to you daved 12-2U-55, an SAC letter was attached for appreval instructing the fieid that me.iversnip in, reference to, or docutentation of the ACLU, should not ve included in investigetive reports vrepared oy the bureau except such references as ferbtcoin to the Los Angeles Chawter or metibership tnercin. The Director comaieuteda "I would want further justification for such action. Uur refrere..ce to cembership in aCLU deesn't vrand such acmocr as subvergeive nor tne idiU as such. It is, however, well known that iicmvpers of saCGLU nave been posi- tive in their efforts in benalf of suvversives such as tneir o.F.ACLU man and more recently efiorts in behalf of Fittsburgh convicted Comuunists." The Director, thereiore, did not approve the sending of the SAC Letter. With regard to tne desirvoility of documcutin, all chapters of ACLU by using the Califcrnia Comaittee on Un-American Activities (UCu.) citavion the following factors must ve considered. The Bureau hus never [conducted an investigation of the abLU or its chapuers; vurrefore, it is lnot in a position to prebare a documentation of the :ACLU for utilisation -in ceports. going cutside the Bureau. Consequeutly, it has to rely upon public sourte material aid the only such material avoiisvie is tie citation by the COUAL jihile seports containing this citation atu, oute the uwaterial ‘to the CCUA, pust exverience has shown that indivioucls outside the Bureau ‘reading Bureau reports will consider tie use of tie udscu.cubavion. an ‘endo.senent of it by the FBI. If an individu l is participating in suoversive activities, in all provability che reporbtins office will hove wore perts.nent and concrete inforuation resardin; such activity other than membership in the atuu. If not, «hon the office siould nob report seuoership in tue ad.u alone ss an iustsnce of subversive activity becnuse membership in the ACLU per se cannct be construed as suuversive. , The Bureauts cosition and kno-ledge regurding the Los An eles |chapter differs frou other ACLU chapters in that the Communist influ- rence in tue Los Au Nes chupter is specifically docume: ted in the COUA'S ACh9 report. trnest Sesiz, wirector, Northern Caiifornia Branch, ‘ACLU, has openly attacked the cSurcau and its JHR:emk:sad { ORY 5) fi . ON 3 . & \"t ® | wat nen ememw us