◆ SpookStack

The Alecloeure of the contents of the files of the FBI would reveal confidential procefures and techniques. If spread upon the record , ortininale, foreign Agents, subversives, and ethers would be forowarned and would sesk methods to carry sut their activities hy avoiding detection and thua defeat the Very purposce for which the FBI was created. Each exception undermines this principle, establishes a precedent, and would inevitably result in a complete collapse of a traditional policy which has proven ite soundness. A disclogury of FBI reporta would revoal the identity of confidential sources of information and, if it did not place the lives of such peraons in actual jJoopardy, it would certainly ruin their future value and cffuctiveness. The disclosure of FBI roportsa would make otherwise patriotic citizena reluctant to furnish information. Already, as a reault of some unfortunate dicclosures of our files in court procuedings, our Special Agents frequently are being told by peraone from whom they seek information that they will decline to be interviewed for fear the information will be misused by some agency other than the FBI, In the conduct of °fficial investigations, information of a highly reotricted nature having a direct bearing upon nationsl security often finds ite way into the files which, if disclosed, would be of considerable value to a foreign power, Increasingly, we have observed efforta of a foreign power to Seek intimate personal déeteilse concerning many of our leaders in Government and industry. They should not be ailed by having these detaiis made public for their use and adventag., thercby crippling the important work of the FBI. S& far, I have directed my romarks against a discloaure of FBI files on eccurity grounda. There are othor compelling reasons why the files of the FBI should remain inviolate. For the want of a more apt comparison, our files can be comparud to tne notes of a newspaper reporter before he has culled the - 3