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RE oo alten GS See ree | JOHN EDGAR HOOVER ' / oN *, EAT: CDW 10 . “ t Low i . . Federal Burrau of Investigation = ~ United States Bepartment of Justice ‘Washington, B.C. SR | | May 12, 1937. f | MEMORANDUM FOR THE DIRECTOR © J Re: Hindenburg. — Mr. Connelley telephoned me from Newark, Rew Jersey, and said thet Mr. [J Vetterli and Mr. Devereaux had just returned from Lekehuret where,they had d ¥ attended the hearings. During the course of the hearings, Southifrinble va 7 of the Depertment Qf Commerce suggested that the Department of Commerce committee could possibly use the Bureau in conducting some investigation relative to this matter. He suggested that the Bureau could get a list of the passengers, find out from them who was there to meet them, and then interview those persons as to what they saw. Then, too, some news photo— grapher took some color pictures of the disaster, and they want the various photographers interviewed to determine what they saw. In other words, they went the Bureau to go cut and do the leg work for them, while they sit inside and esk the witnesses a bunch of theory questions. Mr. Trimble said, hovever, that if the Burean could not cover this investigation, he could probably get his own inspectors to do it. Mr. Trimble made this request orally but formally of Mr. Vetterli tod back today. RECORDED & INDEXED Mr. Connelley is of the personel opinion that we should nét’ accept | thie OA tOi situation for investigetion, but thet the proper t oMAkncee toe? qipy the - investigation are the inspectors of the Depertmento erce. / iit em BT OT RE I told Nr. Connelley that we would be talking with you on fe thlephonefifA a fer minutes, and that I would discuss this situation mt decision m9 the premises. | & a rine ny ae SF Bs I telephoned Mr. Connelley back and told him you had suggested that Mr. Vetterli get in touch with Mr. Trizble and suggest that the Commerce Committee can get a list of the passengers from the zeppelin people themselves. I told him that you are somethat hesitent about seying *no* ‘point blank to the request for the reason that the President has requested all Governmental agencies to cooperate -, but that you believe if someone talks to Trizble and tells him that the Bureau will be gled to work with the inspectors of the Departuent of Commerce, thus indicating a cooperstive attitude but not offering to ac-ept the entire responsibility, it will be all right; that if they want to put ea couple of Commerce inspectors on the job, ~e will put a couple of our men on the situation to work with them = ata, = ok a BL ‘uci 156 pi, TNPOREATION CONTE oxeD LI1G 1964 gt ern acum aj *