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JuocEs COURT OF COMMON PLEAS ? JOHN M. Me CAME . PAUL W. ALEXANDER LUCAS COUNTY, OHIO /” f " \ JOHN Q, CAREY wt ’ THOMAS J. O'CONNOM 7 nee — mans! HARVEY G@. STRAUB “am JOHN W. HACKETT TOLEGDS, CHICO . Mr. Eozbo “aoe Mr. Belmont — Merch 25,1950 [ae wy oo Tole, Room ~ * : Mr, Meass, Titman Mis Gandy, 4 Hon. J. Edgar Hoover, Director, vf a Sees al RPaevAaral Raranss af Trvwaetd awntian sf? rt en : ee i/i44 VO el ae wh Ske et le FS oe a . _— Washington, D.C. ere, ~ f tue “ of ., <3 Dear Mr. Hoover: . From January 1933 to January 1937 I served as » Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in this County, and in January 1937 * and up to Februsry 9, 1943 I served as Prosecuting Attorney of this ¢ County. On February 9, 1943 I took office as Judge of the Court of 7 . Common Pleas, and am now serving my second term of six years. I was ~ “' porn in this “city in 1891 and have resided here all my life, s0 that \ I am personally acquainted with a lot of people. £/ While I was serving in the Prosecuting Attorney's office I was interviewed many times by agents of your department and . also agents of the Treasury Department and the office of United States 4“ Postoffice Inspector, Du: ing the course of these interviews I was questioned about certain people who were under investigation, and I answered those cucstions truthfully and gave the interrogator such information as I had, some of which would be supported by legal evi- \c dence and some of which was based upon what we know in law as hearsay evidence, According to the newspaper accounts of investigations te now being conducted by the Senate and House Committee, demands have ~ been made for a disclosure of the contents of the files in your de~ a partment and even a production of your files. T am sure the American people have complete confidence in the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and I am very much disturbed about the result of a disclosure of the contents of your confidential files, and as a responsible citizen I feel certain that you will re- sist and positively refuse to lay your files open for the inspection of any member of Congress, whether he be of the House of Representa- tives or the Senate. I know from experience that your Department has persisted in prese: ving the confidence of those who have been {| interviewed f.om time to time. On the other hand, if it should be determined that your files are available for inspection, ,J [ale gee )-7 & éa ae much difficulty in investigations by yow agents for the reason that citizens will be hesitant to talk when 2 ene/ danger that at some time or other their names or their piaanek be, made public. RZCORDEN I am motivated to write this letter to Fei <i morning aiter numerous discussions with members of the Bar and iother citizens \. oy eu he Cw aA Ap |e,