◆ SpookStack

Disclosure of the repurts could not de otherwise thon sericusly prejudice low enforcement. Counsel for e defendant or prospective defendant, could have no grecter help then to know how much or how little infcrm- tion the Government h-s, ani whet witnesses cr scurces cf informeticn it can rely upon. This is cxnectly whot these reperts re intended tc contain. Diselssure of the repcrts at this particular time would cls. prejudice the national defense nnd be of cid ond comfsrt to the very subversive clenents against which you wish te protect the ccuntry. For this reason we have mide extreacrdinary cfforts to sce that the re- sults of countzrespicnage activities and intelligence activities of this Department involving those clenents ors kept within the fewest possible hanis. A cetalogue ef pereons under investigetion cr suspicion, ond what we know about them, would be cf inestimebl. service te foreign ngencies; and information which could be so used conmncot be too closely gutrded. Morecver, disclosure -f the reports would be of serious prejudice tc the future usefulness of the Fed- eral Burenu cf Investigstion. As you probebly know, much =f this infcrmetion is given in confidence and can chly be cbhtained upon pledge net to disclose its sources. «A disclosure of the scurces would embarrass infcrurnts--sumetimes in their employment, sometimes in their e>ocial reletions, cnd in extreme crises might even endanger their lives. We regard the keeping cf foith with confidentin] informants as a indispensable conditio cf future erficlency. Diselzsure of information contcined in the re- ports might clso be the grcssest uind cf injustice to inn.cent individuals. Investigstive reports include lends and suspicions, nd sumetimes even the st«te- ments of malicious cr misinfcrmed people. Even though Jeter ond more complete reports excnernte the individuels, the use cf particular or selected reports might consti- tute the grossest injustice, and we ell know thet ea correcticn never enteches up with an accusation. With respect te files which this Committee hes requested, their disclosure would, it scems t: ne, scriously impeir the effectiveness of the Employee