Ee a ' Cofa> was-served* smttint afyescers broke up into small ¢ greuns, Dro King retired aon to another room for private soul-searching, then Cm rhe J later to sav ke was nheorieh “Dwi have eae WME SIL to deat with it in my own ‘uly and k.s quotation de- neuncing the war appeared prominenuUy, giving the linpress.un that he was the major promoter of the ra iv. Tne rest is public history, TWO WeeKs lat Dr. hing went to Cni caso. and called he Amorican invelvement in “ietnam “barbaric” and “a iasphemy against all that \nueriva stands for.” On vpril 4, after one last talk with his statf, he made the Riverside Church — speech, aceusins the U.S. of being the “greatest purvevor of Vielerwe in the world todav” and unum youths to avoid Uhre war by becoming con- > cntious objectors, Createst Crisis i *That attack provoked the greatest crisis in the civil 1. * awavement since rhe emergence of the “Black Power” radicals in 1965. Other civil rights at first were reluctant to bring the cuarre] into the open, but finally concluded that si- Jenee would indicate assent on Dr, King’s arguments and open up a stream of criti- tism. S Whitney Young declared that civil rights and the war should be kept separate. Ie added: “The masses of Ne- sro citizens we are commié- ted to serve and who have <iven Negro leaders the in- ffuence they have, have as their first priority the im- nediate problem of survival rm this country.” “The NAACP accused Dr. King of making a “serious “aetical mistake” in attempt- NW 255096in Dacha 2anp5s conienen 2a bt KinGPereacon OREM lent, oF the other. Reports flourished over ihe Ween) na that lor Kans was Secking a reconciliation meeting with the other civil rights iad rs, He let it be known that he cid not anticipate a physical eft to Others The task of rebutting Dre aAINgs was not left to. the cw rights leaders. Top- ranking Democrats, inelud- ing White House ‘offic! als, sought ta counter his im- pact on both Negro and White communities. Even befere Dr. Kinz: Chicago speech, on March 17, a group of Negro newe- paper publishers went to the White House to present President Johnson with a citation for his “courage i: the pursuit of justice and freedom for all men.” While there, they received brief- inus, including one on Viet nam, from White Hous aides. ' Louis Martin, the Negro deputy chairman of the Democratic Satiunal Cor mittee, got busy on the plione, calling publishers, Nbegro ministers, labor lead- evs, and others with audi- ences they could reach. Martin's arguments were’ reflected in a spate of Negro’ nress editorials noting the civil rights gains under the Kennedy and Johnson <Ad- ministrations, urging sup- port of the Negro troops in Vietnam, and observing that the Nation’s only Negro Senator, Republican Edward W. Brooke of Massachusetts, kad switched to a pro- Administration positiot aiter a trip to Vietnam. . Martin told influential Negroes that the nigh Negro re-enlistment rate is an ef- fective rebuttal to Dr. king's wate fo see if tho; find“an answer: WN he run? - < OT he nr tey cf the woos do not contre! community political eiements ciety, Tho farted white power that wakes s of ths xu weds th. ry, puted foes q tS thee laws. It is white power that attempting to counter Ir. King's arguments, high /,d- > ministration officials were giving their own version of Dr. King} motives, Out of, Money? The SCLC, they sugsested, had run out of money and Dr. King had grabbed onto the peace movement in hopes of replenishing the treasury. Rustin, who remains close to Dr. King despite a differ ence of views, says flatly that this charge is untru>. “I’ve never known Dr, Kirz to take a position: that would . Rucun declares. Administration officials al- ‘SO expressed concern about ‘radical influences on Dr. King’s staff, and said this position will damage the already-shaky prospects for {civil rights action in Coh- gress this year. The extent of that damage is debatable. Sen. Philip A. Hart (D-Mich.), manager of the Administration bill, says “You're darn right the King speeches hurt. They shouldn’t, but they have. People who disagree with z “Han on one issue are less inclined to go along with him on others. I’m afraid ar influential voice has been lost.” Negro serv- ¢ exploited wir ‘As an Excuse’ nut Clarence M lifehe ll], | head of thie ‘acnucton bu- i renee pat \ A Se and Mest capenmenced of cil Nights lobbyist. says, “Those fu fhe pot ! Wid COMiauy tee this as are excuse, but at this staze, the farreminvded memhers -f Congress look to the Kind ef statement that the NAACP board made as retlecting the who ame be oorste Hern CSanees Dal never re an yee tae eoaenh er ‘Peace Candidate TS tades Uh pustdhee, ED, taeir view, is tse ammuni- tiun they say Dr. King un- 1 WXtingly provided for oppon- consinee,” he told the ses. a . enforces thrse laws group. rer vizhes me oe we _ ane guns and nightsticks. ’ . mes aq r t t} 3 attern As an Individual Tome" “stepped away frum radical- To currect this patte 2 eed a! gf aye Mere? ‘ Soe Ge ate _ fem hy Sesiqe pn nee "WHT, call fer far-reaching . Ba Soar. or . Soe an “ = . . ‘ : gta i roeaeckw Dr Kinet seen? Getetadd Vt a Pespeete d tinncnn s The and Pye titer ni a Ryo ef mi derares called 2 oe wee et » . isos aed cr Sa or ee as tert wf? ned . at Bee wed ot ase SGU LL Nua nVing ills Weed. a Roser im advert.a Clisin as Rox Wikrs ¢f the Was tus nswe ; oa Sven . . 13s Tau.8 sae answer? wenis for the march this 9 N.\.ACP. “I con's think Wie Vere violence and whet nee, the spensors’ names » Kins was grieved at havi In 5 mere call seditio whit were merely Usted at vte a chance to take a poke at makes & xely Carm! char battom white Dr. King's pic. Kinz, said one civil rights, run? Stoxels ‘ ents of the war on pyverty ; and other domestic wel “face procrams by Thes Nashville | Banner that the U.S. “ - invest the necessary funds his statement “would never and energies in the rehabiii- While Martin was this tation of poor so long as Ady entures Lik Ke Vietnam con- inquiring reporters :; inued , Of greater long-range won- cern to the Democrats, and their liberal ailies are the intimations that a merged peace-civil rights coalition couid use Dr. King as its candidate for President on ‘a third-party ticket in 1968. 1 1 ‘ ' ' ' | | | “It's more and more re- mindful to me of the coali- tion around Henry Wallace,” # said Joseph L. Rauh Jr., Jiberal Washington attorney and a leader of the anti- Communist Americans for Deamescat ss Netion, “New Left” political groups in New York and California have talked pub- licly for months about en- tering a “peace candidate’ in next year's Democratic presidential primaries. Last month, the liberal California Demoeratic Cou cil, composed of 30,000 vol unteer club memopoers, vote(l to consider supporting such $
Hw 55037 a tiinitdate if President” Johnson refuses to change his Vigtnam war policy. Following Wallace? Rauh, recalling how ADA wag formed to fight the Cofnmunist -manipulated “Rrogressive Party” candi- dacy.of Henry Wallace in 1948, said he sees Dr. King on the verge of making the same mistake Wallace, dix. “He thinks of himself as x bridge between those who Pelieve in our system and taose who don’t,” Rauh said. “To my mind, that is an un- ridgeable gap,” Rauh said. How serious is the pros- pect of a Dr. King “peace candidacy” in 1968? The evi- dence is ambiguous. One civil robe leader eutside Diy King’s clreie deseribes hint as “a sitting duck” for sua a proposilion. Another; clojer to Dr. King, thinks Docld: 32989551 om
MW 35037 Docld: 32959551 Page 246 THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 1969 a 2 rad 7 wiretap on Maxtirf Luther King F Bt oW ay $s Kennedy Jr. was specifically approved in advance-in writing by the late Try s £ App roved Wiretap Attorey General of the United On Dr. Kin g 5 P hane sites, Mr. Robert F. Kennedy. This device was strictly in the field of internal security and,! therefore, was within the pro- visions laid down by the then President of the United States. “Ie is to be hoped that vou WASHINGTON} Jupe"17 (AP) ~The Federal Burcau of Inves- tigation attacked as “scurri- lous” tof¢sy a report that its wil give the same pustieity to director, J. Edgar Hoover, had:,, . eet ‘ ‘P : “to y bo acted on his own in wiretap-|clS “ter aS Was Biven to your ping the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther|SCUtlous editorial. King Ir. The fact that the Govern- The wiretap “was specificale Men wiretapped the assassi-' - ‘nated civil rights leader’s phone ly approved in advance in writ- . y approved in advance in writ twas confirmed two weeks ago, ing” by the Attorney General,i "°° : . Ithe late Robert F. Kennedy, the during hearings in Houston, on} F.B.L said. whether the conviction of Cas-| The bureau released the text sius Clay, the former heavy-' of a letter written by Clyde Avweight boxing champion, was} 4{Tolson, ass irector, t0',.; a -obrai 4. {Carl T, Rowan, the columnist, *#inted by illegally obiained evi 1 ‘who denounced Mr. Hoover on dence. Ciay is appealing a sen-) Sunday and called for the di- tence for refusing induction, rector’s resignation. ‘into the armed forces. ' The letter said: { The Justice Department, at. ‘My attention has beencatled that time, said that Clay at no to the malicious article which time had been the target of a yu wrote in The Washington Government wiretap. But a ‘Sunday Star on June 15, 1989, spokesman said some of his jeoncerning Mr. J. Edgar Hoo- conversations were overneard ver, director of the F.B.I. iduring other wiretapping oazer- '«For your information, the ations. NWS. , & 21h GVI-GF
0-19 (Rev. 7-17-68) “was begun. N wlhe murder af Dr. NW 55097. aa? : ——— iy a ep ; iy i ge ay Hew Lor ng tlas Pi FBI Director J. i Hoover has offercd as justification for ‘tapping the telephones of the late “Rev, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. two assertions: one, that this tapping was authorized by ‘the Jate Robert F. Kennedy, Attorney General at the time it was initiated: and, two, that Mr. Kennedy in- stigated the wiretapping. The first of these assertions appears to be un- contested, ai though Mr. Hoover has yet to proaice any documentation of it. In cousiderable degre if relieves him of responsibility for a gross intra. sion into the privacy of an honcred citizen, The responsibility for this intrusion must be lodged. in fairness, with the Attorney General if he did in- deed give his approvai of it in ‘advance. We regret, therefore, that in ca Hing for Mr. Hoover's resigna- tion recenily, we imputed the responsibility to him alone—-there are far better reasons than this for him to step down, ‘s . The second of Mr. Hoove er's assertions has been categoricaliv contested by two former Aitorness . General, one of them Deputy Attorney General under Mr. Kennedy at the time. the wiretapping Vicholas Katzenbach. declare ed bluntly: imply that this tap was the original “YO. Sav or conception of Robert Kennedy—that he was the ius atlon—or that ha had any ee Mm oving force in this “How long .the tappie g of Dr. King's telephone “continued and whether if continued bevond the idaiu of P forbidding Vsecl resident Johnson's o: der sur cillanee excep : tonal SeCHEE Page 247 Doold: 325959551 ° folson. - DelLoach Mohr Bishop. Casper —— Callahan Conrad Felt - Gale Rosen Sullivan. Tavel Trotter. Tele. Room _W-_ Holmes Gandy —_-_ ve The Washington Post fie 26 Times Herald. _ The Washington Daily News | The Evening Star (Washington) The Sunday Star (Washingto Daily News (New York) Sunday News (New York) New York Post The New York Times The Sun (Baltimore) The Daily World