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H- a err tote wo. 10 ; \ ‘ - UNITED STATES GOVER, .&NT - Memorandum pare: August 11, 1960 Reference is made to the enclosed letter dated 8/8/60 from Stephen Thiermann, executive secretary of the Northern California Regional Office of the American Friends Service Commitiee (AFSC). In his letter Thiermann refers to Director's report captioned "Communist Target-Youth"” with particular reference to the stetement on pege 7 of the report that the so-calleq Peace March which took place on Saturday, 5/14/60, in San Francisco was a movement sponsored by the Communist Party (CP). Thier mann dispuies the statement, stating that the Peace March was sponsored by his organization in conjunction with a number of other pacifist organizations. Background of AFSC_ Thiermann's letter is typical of the policy long foliowed by the AFSC through which it has continually mace efforts to disassociate itself from communi: activities. The AFSC, organized in 1917, is the subject of a closed @@zaaretieaexy file (Rutile MMF which indicates that the stated purposes of the organization are to relieve human suffering and ease international tensions. The organization ‘is composed of persons who are members of the religious Society of Friends but i not an official organ of the Society. Informants have characterized it as a sincere pacifist group, and our investigations of it have not disclused any subversive activ or active communist infiltration of the AFSC. *- On the other hand, the activities of the AFSC have often clearly parall :the CP line and have often been conducted in conjunction with CP front groups.