◆ SpookStack

of trespass and for Departmental backing for FBI use of microphone surveiliances culminated in a memorandum from Attorney General Brownell to the Director dated May 20, 1954. This memorandum was, as previously noted, identical with the final draft analyzed by Mr. Belmont and approved by the Director. Pertinent portions of this memorandum follow: "The recent decision of the Supreme Court entitled Irvine v. California, 347 U.S. 128, denouncing the use of microphone surveillances by city police in a gambling case makes appropriate a reappraisal of the use which may be made in the future by the Federal Bureau of Investigation of microphone Surveillance in connection with matters relating to the internal security of the country. "It is clear that in some instances the use of microphone surveillance is the only possible way of uncovering the activities of espionage agents, possible saboteurs, and subversive persons. In such instances, I am of the opinion that the national interest requires that microphone surveillance be utilized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This use need not be limited to the development of evidence for preseccution, The FBI has an intelligence function in connection with internal security matters equally as important as the duty of developing evidence for presentation to the courts and the national security requires that the FBI be able to use microphone surveillance for the proper discharge of both of such functions, The Department of Justice approves the use of microphone surveillance by the FBI under these circumstances and for these purposes...