◆ SpookStack

beth , ; & C. SAC, 8E Arrangements were made by them to have ROBERT THORNTON, Attorney General for the State of Oregon, speak as principal banquet speaker. eS On the afternoon of 7/29/61, a rather lengthy telegram was received by BRENNAN from the Attorney General outiining his reasons for not being there and saying that he felt his presence in Washington was necessary, particularly since the head of the Judicial Committee of the Senate had encouraged his presence on Sew eS eee SS = a ~~ S= that occasion. Interestingly enough, there was a directors meeting under way at the time this telegram was received. BRENNAN, BURT KEATING, District Attorney from Denver, and EDWARD S. SILVER, District Attorney of Brooklyn, New York, told me that when the telegram was received there were a large number of those present who were so disturbed over the Attorney General’s late cancellation that they were not inclined to read the telegram at the banquet. I told them that I thought that it would be most inappropriate not to and suggested that the polite and politic thing to do was to, of course, read it. The calmer heads prevailed and the telegram was read at the banquet. It received a polite applause. It was very evident that the officers of the National District Attorneys Association and a great percentage of the members were quite disturbed over his late cancellation, The result was that a number of people left before the end of the convention since they intended to remain only so long as the Attorney General was going to speak. His late cancellation also, of course, required cancellation at the last minute of all of tha elaborate plans that had been made for his presence in Portland. I am writing to the Bureau separately concerning the entire conference; however, Ithought you would be interested in this aside so far as the Attorney General's scheduled presence was concerned. . 4 4 ~ . ais in on STENE tk ota ns “ ‘ more . - ee ct Se wo ate ee eet eee tdi mae a an ya ee ee Oe ee .