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Sp « a - - . oo _, MEMORANDUM FOR THE FILS . , December 19, 1939 Tage ~ 2 vag I asked Mr. Listernan to inform Ness further that ~ the Bureau can see absolutely no need for auch an organigation as the Cleveland Safety Counetl, since the Presidential order pdaced jurtadiction in Zapionege, Sabotage and related cases, .. including Plant Protection, in the FP.B.3. I advised him te ~~ . take the position that Vesa comes to ua toa late about thia- fe eituation; that he formed the organization and then told ua a8 about it; that we did not endorse tt and he did not cak for ae our endorsement; that if he wanted our views or epinion he Should have asked us first. He dealt with Lieutenant Haskin aed believing him to be an accredited representative of Naval mare Intelligence, and consequently it t8 up to him te deal with 13 Seval Intelligence in any matter that pertains to the Federal _ aS Government. a ' I advised Mp. Lieterman that Ness will probably _ take someone with Aim to the interview, and suggested that he et alua have someone eit in at that time. SF requested that he ¥ cali me immediately after the interview and let me know what a. Ness!’ attitude is, because the Director may destre to have 2 him tssue @ press release. = xr. Listerman adutaed that Yess will probably say . that before they made any definite plang, they teck the matter ' up with the Cleveland Office. I advised him, however, that E they did not take it up with us, but they advised use as te what they had done; that Mr. Guinane did hat express any opinion about the motter, c&@ he was not being asked but wea being told. If Ness makes any statement adbeut furnishing this data to us confidentially about the membership, I w oduised Mr. Listerman to tell him that moat of the business 4? men in town know about this and have been talking about 143 3s that if he says we gave out the names of the members ar ~ anything of that kind, he should tell him that this is an ae untruth, thet we have never had the names ef all the people ES who attended these meetings. as I advised wr. Listerman confidentially that if the aes Navy Department i@ approached about this they will deny that ae Haskin tg a Waval Intelligence representative. He ts just 2% a reserve officer attached to a hydrographic office or some~ .._. es thing of that kind, and no one by the name of Haskin repre- ou gents Naval Intelligence out there. Mr. Listerman stated ie, wee that he lecated a copy of a letter from the Chicago Gfiflee oa ~ ae - to the Bureau indicating that Commander Gregory called the 2-9--- pen Catcage Office and wanted te be interviewed by an agent, - - ta . saying thet Lieutenant Haskin communtcated with him about —* 448& this project and he informed Haskin that he thought tt would .. . ees be all right but auggested that he go inte tt as a private” fe individual ond not a3 a representative of the Naval Intelligence.