◆ SpookStack

Mr. Tolson blo, I told Mr. Rogers that I would like to go back to the reference placed in the brief by Katzenbach which concerned “authorization given a decade ago." He was advised that if Katzenbach persisted in using such phraseology this would neces- sarily involve both hin and Mr, Brownell; therefore this point aeoke wae F Pe | ad OL = we i ao 6+h L +h. should be clarified. He was advised that there undoubtedly would be press inquiries and that the FBI would not want to be placed in the position of refuting or contesting the claims of good friends. I then read to him Mr. Brownell's memorandum to the Director, dated -§/20/54, which set forth in explicit language the fact that the FBI “was permitted to utilize microphone surveillances for proper discharge of its responsibilities in the fields of "internal security" and “national safety." I pointed out that the matter of trespass was clearly recognized. It was also pointed out that “national safety" most certainly embraced the field of high level, organized crime, inasmuch as gross murders, wholesale distribution of narcotics, and considerable public corruption definitely concerned the "national safety." I told him I wanted to go further; that most certainly he recalled having various verbal conversations with both the Director and former Assistant te the Director L. B, Nichols relative to the subject of usage of microphones. I showed him a memorandum written by L. B. Nichols dated 4/27/54, wherein Rogers specifically told Nichols that he thought it would be a better procedure to use the Brownell memorandum as authorization ae ee ee es ee tal ee SS ee ee see a Sees Se ee Se we ee ee ee ee ee rather than go to the Attorney General in each individual case. V CONTI NUED~--—--OVER Byer e et cr re il vee pabcoe ta y = a hard a ae a ad =e 7 a”, Se FL fe TS Sale el ee ee ul