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Director, FBI (116-442786) 5/11/60 noted that he, himself, had been the subject of an investigation a few months ago in spite of the fact that he had specifically told former Attorney General BROWNELL and Attorney General ROGERS that he would not accept an appointment to a committee on international law because it would require extensive travel in Euro am he could not afford the time from i j He said that he felt ey was, therefore, wasted in this aka., Special Inquiry; utile 77-79858.) Since I am personally acquainted with Se 2 I know his fine reputation, I felt that his comments should not be allowed to sit as is without additional clarification and, accordingly, I made contact with him. Q@stated he wanted to reemphasize the fact that he had no criticism whatsoever of the FBI but that his criticism was directed primarily at Congress which would pass such legislation which thereupon put a responsibility on AEC, which subsequently “passed the buck" to the FBI. He said that, to explain his remarks that sometime the people will rebel against such investigations, he meant that he felt Congress did not give adequate consideration to the importance and prestige of the Governor of an independent state duly elected by the people. He said that despite the fact that such Governorship might be only a temporary situation and might have rascals in it, such as Governor LONG of Louisiana who undoubtedly was a mentally incompetent, since the man was their Governor, he was, in his mind, the most important expression of home rule the country has. ED <0: on to state he felt the FBI was being made the scapegoat of all of the national Government in that we were required to spend our time in many piddling matters when we had such important work also assigned as our responsibility and to which we should give our whole attention. conSiderable Bureau time futile investigation. investigation conducted January, 1959; I noted to QED that the Director felt this also was true in the constant conferring on us of additional responsibilities in Congress after Congress, and that the Director many times had told Congressional committees how thinly we were spread and his desire to contain our responsibilities as they are. QED said that he one day looked forward to the opportunity to sit dow with the Director and "bet that the Director would not only agree with this point of view but, in addition, would enlarge upon it." QED 20201 81ca1ty asked that his comments concern-_ ing the involvement of the FBI in this type of investigation be brought to the attention of the Director. - 2 -