eledsed i tinder the dohn F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 19927 (44 WSC FIO Hotere DATE: 11-14-2017 ‘ . ~ ~ oo : ‘ “ fos “* - wow x a ~ DIRECTOR FEBRUARY 1). 1950 Party, Brookline, Massachusetts, at 4:00 Pathe ‘on ‘November 20, 1949. ND BOS €-S 227 only Imows that. SCOTT was scheduled to speak on this date and at the same > place indicated for JOHN HOWARD LAWSON below, (%)(Y SORN HOWARD LAWSON ALAN SWITZER is ‘the ‘Manager ‘of the Bellevue Hotel, Boston, Massachusetts, and.a confidential source of | information for the Boston Division. From SWITZER it wag ascertained that JOHN HOWARD LAWSON checked into the Hotel Somerset, mentioned above, ‘on November 20, 1949, end. checked out on the late evening of November 23, "1949, ND BOS 521 received an announ¢ement from the Brighton group of the ‘Progressive Party reflecting that LAWSON would speak‘at 4:00 P.M. under the Club's auspices on November 20,.1949. ‘The place of the meeting was. the Brookline ‘Academy , Beacon: Street, Boston. | —s*ND BOS T+§ 215 obtained the following infor oe from HARLOW SHAPLEY: on. the dates indicated : (&) | _ On November 22, 1949, ‘SHAPLEY advised &) OF ene . that LAWSON was in Boston. ‘and was interested in contacting - active. members: and leaders of the NCASP. SHAPLEY stated that LAWSON had advised him that the Hollywood ASP Council has: 1200 paid-up members and an excellent man heading it. _ SHAPLEY stated that,-on the other hand, the New York ASP Council is in-a confused ‘state following CLARK FOREMAN'S resignation. He, SHAPLEY,— also advised that the ae h ASP is preparing an organizational plan for the use . New York organization | and . ‘the national organization. Q(t) | Later on the same: ‘ay, the. Informant learned from - SHAPLEY that the latter had been contacted by DAVID RIGBY, | Secretary of the Montreal: chapter: ‘of the Canadian Peace. Gonference. RIGBY solicited 'SHAPLEY to address this latter group. SHAPLEY* declined, but among the other substitutes suggested by him was JOHN -HOWARD LAWSON. SHAPLEY characterized LAWSON as a@ "“orilliant speaker and well’ mown historian." RIGBY inquired ‘as to'‘whother or not LAWSON'S approach to- peace was along the ‘Line's: of HENRY AS WALLACE. SHAPLEY oo responded affirmatively put. added that it was doubtful that LAWSON would be allowed to leave the United States. He contacted LAWSON” imuediately and LAWSON - Bdvised that he . | Docld: 32338891 Page 3
Released under the Pilin F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1997 (442 USC ‘BrOT wovey= | DATE: 11- 14- 2017 Ed a cand XL se - co , Ges aes { DIRECTOR “FEBRUARY 1, 1950 | of his counsel, MARTIN POPPER of New York City... ‘LAWSON - agreed to communicate further on this matter directly | , with RIGBY from New York city + SHAPLEY, thereafter,. contacted ZECHARIAH CHAFFEE, Professor, Harvard Law School, and made an appointment with the latter for LAWSON.. It was necessary for SHAPLEY to identify LAWSON, but CHAPPEE did make the | appointment for the following day at 11:00 A.M. When : SHAPLEY advised LAWSON of his appointment with CHAFFEE, | LAWSON revealed that he had already made other plans with The Reverend JOSEPH FLETCHER of the Episcopal Theological Seminary:,. Cambridge, Massachusetts, and - DONALD ANGUS CAMERON, Editor-in-Chief, LITTLE BROWN PUBLISHING COMPANY,. Boston. It is. noted that CAMERON \ had been tentatively. identified as a.professional member |. of the Communist. Party by LOUIS BUDENZ; and that Con- . fidential Informants ND BOS 493 and 165 have-identified FLETCHER as a trustee of the. late SAMURL ADAMS SCHOOL, and a National sponsor. of the JAFRC, the NGASF and the . | noas «(@/)(u ND BOS T-S 215° ‘also learnea that on the late evening of November 22, 1949, LAWSON had had an extensive ~~ | conference with JOHN N.. M... HOWELLS of Belmont, Mass-— achusetts, the Chairman of the MGASP. The Informant’ could only learn, that. the conference. was concerned with affairs of the NCASP.. \(W ; ND BOS ng 215 was again present with SHAPLEY. on. the morning of- November 235,/1949,. when the latter advised | LAWSON that his morning appointment with CHAFFEE had been postponed until 4:00 P.M. on that afternoon. LAWSON. stated that, in the interim, he had checked with friends of his on the West Coast’and learned’ that CHAFFEE had conducted | friendly correspondence with ALBERT MALTZ (another LITTLE | | | | BROWN COMPANY author and a Hollywood scenario writer) and ‘that CHAPFEE had expressed to -MALTZ a sincere interest in the case of the "Hollywood Ten." .SHAPLEY cautioned LAWSON that his conference with CHAPFER might not: ‘run too: ‘smoothly because Harvard Law School customs require’ that faculty members do not become too. theavily: Anvolved | hn! oles (fe because faculty members must lecture to all kinds rof Peoples “Gye | Docld: 32338891 Page 4
(Released under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992 (44 USC ZiI0T HOTer= DATE: 11-14-2017 " : : aan vo» & : : : DIRECTOR ‘PEBRUARY 1, 1980 ce LAWSON was not discouraged and stated that in | New York he had met with theatrical people such ag | ~ . GEORGE KAUFMAN and RICHARD LAUTERBACH and hed found that such people were very interested in assisting | the "Hollywood Ten," but not through: affiliation with | the NCASP. @) UW) , | ND BOS T+S ‘215 was present with LAWSON at $:00 | P.M. on November 23, 1949,. when the latter reported — to SHAPLEY the results of his conference with CHAFFEE. ; LAWSON stated that he had had a satisfactory. conference with CHAFFEE and that CHAFFEE expressed a willingness to assist in the preparation of a brief amicus: curiae to the Supreme Court of the United States in the ease involving the "Hollywood Ten." CHAFFEE had further in- dicated his willingness to sign such a brief as a faculty member of the Harvard Law School, He conditioned these offers, however, on the brief being filed under | the auspices of the AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNTOW. and, further, upon LAWSON'S obtaining the signatures and . assistance of OSMOND PRANKO (phonetic) and ARTHUR GARFIFLD HAYES. CHAFFEE was unwilling to associate himself in such & matter with the NCASP. LAWSON also stated that he, was attempting to have still another brief filed by educators and a third by publishers, and that D. ANGUS (Y CAMERON had promised’to assist in the publishers! brief. _- ND BOS T-S 215 learned from LAWSON that the. latter “had, on the afternoon of November 22, 1949, made a. two-hour speech before the Student Lawyers Guild at the Harvard Law School. LAWSON said that his presence had created a considerable "fuss", and that the chairman of ‘the Guild hed resigned rather: than. preside at a meeting addressed by him. Nevertheless, the students. had voted overwhelmingly to hear LAWSON. LAWSON reported that the students were divided "to some extent" about the pros and cons.of the case, and appeared to be principally interested in the . legal technicalities rather than in the "larger issues presented by the. suggested nator." \(U)- i So LAWSON also appeared publicly at the special meeting of the Community Church held at 565 Boylston Street, — Boston, Massachusetts. The Community Church is wider the direction of The Reverend DONALD. LOTHROP, who has been ~ affiliated at times past, with the JAFRC, the NCASP and: ‘the — i ( ' Docld: 32338891 Page 5
Reledsed under the John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1997" (42 USC FIO} Tete DATE: 11-14-2017 ‘ . ‘\ b > DIRECTOR — FEBRUARY 1, 1950 NCASF, according to ND BOS.525. The Community Church meeting was attended by Confidential Informants ND BOS 21 and. 559.0n November 23, 1949. Acecording.to these Informants, LAWSON'S speech was as follows: © Re said-that he was speaking in Boston, New York | and. Philadelphia, while other members of the "Hollywood Ten" were visiting other cities in the U.S. All speakers were attempting to acquaint the population with the. real meaning of the trial of the "Ten." He asserted: that only two of the ten stood trial under an agreement whereby the remaining eight accepted the judgment reached ‘with reference to the two. LAWSON asserted that he was one of the two who did stand trial and that the atmosphere of the court room was depressing and tense, like @ Nasi court room immediately prior to World War II. He digressed to criticize the Government of: the United States for’ deporting a German, one BERTHOLDT BROCK, after the latter had obtained sanctuary from two Fascist persecutions in. - Europe. oat co os oo | | » Reverting to the trial, he stated that the jury was selected in an unusual /and unfair manner. The jurors sat in the audience in the rear: of the court room; they were questioned collectively and.over the heads of the - | audience and responded collectively. The defendant wag not afforded an opportunity to challenge-the jurors. When ; the trial began, the jury heard only-the opening statements | and the closing arguments and nothing of that which had transpired in the interim. The jury was made up partially of Government employees who could not remain impartial. and maintain their positions. Ce The court room was. loaded with uniformed and plain clothes police. Ifyou .spoke your political opinions ~ . frankly, you would find yourself surrourided by them. the , defense attorneys were gentlemen throughout ‘the course of the trial and their subsequent. indictment.for contempt of court should certainly “move evéry ‘righteous-member of _ the bar to register protest... The Bill ‘of Rights and the Constitution are easy to read and to understand and-we do not need self-assisting authorities. to. Interpret them. : LAWSON then stated that he had madé.an extensive study My of history. This study had led -him to the..conelusion — that the foreign end domestic policies “of this country | ee ~following World War .IT -are the. same as World War 1. bo: L eae NS A i} ~ | Docld:32336891 Page 6