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ca are 4 ' Beige . Poy we PD 100-8472 CONFIRITIAL figure in the last decade because of squabbles with the State Department over alleged Communist sympathies", and indicated he would present a vocal program of his own under the sponsorship of the Focus Club a student group of — - about 40 members, at Botsford Auditorium, at Reed College, Se The Oregonian, on Monday, March 17, 1958, con-~- oo tained three photographs of the subject. The caption above - one photograph “J am Here as an artist" and contained | os a statement below the photograph referring to ROBESON as having arrived at the Reed College campus on Sunday. Below another photograph of ROBESON appeared "ROBESON re- called political controversy over his alleged sympathies with Russia, declared ‘my political position is precisely now as it has always been, '" Do, ‘An article captioned "ROBESON says English T.V.5 _ concert stage engagements, hinge on getting U.S. Passport," ~~ ~~ with byline of HERB PENNY, staff writer, The Oregonian, Lo appearing in The Oregaian, March 17, 1958, reflected fhe a0. results of an interview with the subject on Sunday (March 16, 1958}, The article referred to ROBESON as having sted _ that he thought it was "unlikely" he would be permitted to leave the country to accept singing and acting engagements in England. The article pointed out that since 1950 ROBESON had been unable to obtain a passport because of "squabbles with thea Genta RNanartimant avan «llaced Mormindiat awenathier .™ Wk Wik WELT RG RE A RC me Ei ole de le Me MEE A Male ar Oe SNE Sel ER ele Sa a and further pointed out that he had filed suit this month in an effort to obtain & pssport before the English engage~ — ments in June, The article quoted ROBESON as stating: | "It is unlikely that I'11 will make it at this time although this whole thing is getting pretty absurd in the light of our cultural relations abroad. But if the case came up in time there is no doubt that I'd win because the State De- partment is interferring with my livelihood.” The news article noted that ROBESON spoke informally on the Reed College campus. It further noted that ROBESON had commented to the effect that he believed it important for people to. know that he was getting invitations from abroad because it . - reflected how necessary a passport was for him. The article -— continued "in his Portland visit, he emphathized ‘I'm here . as an artistxxxx'" fhe article contined that "the fact that -.