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Memorandun for Mr. Ladd Page Two possible that at the present time, if he had not been blackballed, he would be a Major General. He also had a long discussion with Colonel Forney who succeeded Bissell es Chief, Counterintelligence Group, G-2. Forney advised Bissell that the reason he had been blackballed and the reason that he would never advance any further in the Army and would probably never be sent out of the country with troops was because he had been connected with the Joe Lash-Eleanor Roosevelt investigation in Chi- cago. Forney stated to Bissell that the facts of this investigation had been disclosed to the thhite House trrough some unknown means and that shortly after Bissell left,a call was received by General Strong and Colonel Forney to proceed to the white House vith the complete records of this matter at approximately 10:00 p.m. at night. ‘when they reached the white House they wére received by the President, General Watson and Harry Honkins and were ordered to produce the entire records in this case, aie solonel Forney stated to Colonel Bissell that this was extremely embar- ce rassinz in as mich as the material contained a recording of the entire ne proceedinzs between Lash and “Irs, Roosevelt which had been obtained throush a micronhone which had been lanted in the hotel room, /This recording indicated cuite clearly that Mrs, Roosevelt and Lash enraged in sexual intercourse during their stay in the hotel roon. Forney ad- vised Bissell that after this record vas played “irs, Roosevelt was called into the conference end was confronted with the information and this resulted in a terrific fight betveen the President and Mrs. Roosevelt, At avvroximately 5:00 a.m. the next morning the President called for Gen- eral arnold, Chief of the Army sir Corns, and upon his arrival at the con- ference ordered hin to have Lash outside the United States and on his way to a combat post vithin ten hours, ; after the conference vas over it was learned that the President : had ordered that anvpody who knew anything about this case should be imnefiately releaved of his duties end sent to the South Pacific for action ezainst the Japs until they were killed, Forney advised Bissell that everyone vho is known to have any knovledze at all of this matter is on the permanent black list at the white House. Bissell stated that the only thing that kent these men from being sent to the South Pacific vas that it was learned that there were too many of them to be treated in this manner, colonel Bissell stated that the only reason that more was not done to him was that General ‘Jatson aoverently came to his defense and assured the resident that Bissell would not talk about this matter indiscriminatel Resnectfully, sr amet a ate foe - fa » C. aurton yo A