10 =e 12 14 . _HSCA (RG 18. 2ons 19 21 Py, JFK Collect 22 'eference co 23 24 ME 25 Docld: 322666681 — 20 18 and ffijabing it again. Then you lose’ the umbrella and you can see the President. 4 SO re  @ | _ . , a ff we have photographs taken by other people immediately after the shooting. Everyone in the plaza is facing the knoll, running in that direction, and the umbrella man and his friend are the only two people standing facing the complete opposite direction and then the umbrella man is. sitting down, which no one else is doing. That is why the critics have focused on him so much, though they have never - seen this particular photograph. Chaivmar , io 4 Mae Stokes... Mr.Devine has offered a very good suggestion. Mrs. Burke. Could I suggest a resolution that would. authorize the fhairman, in his discretion, to approve the press release, consistent with the dignity of the’ committee, not involving the committee in an umbrella theory and consist- ent with Time-Life's permits. Mr. McKinney « I would so move. Chairman ; n ,7Mx. Stokes. You have heard the resolution. Do you. ‘want a record vote? ; Mr. Blakey. I don't think that is necessary. There are a couple of matters of information you should be aware of. The committee is going into court on Monday in Memphis to examine the records of a hospital dealing with
10 11 12 HSCA (RG > Collection: 20 21 _eference copy, JFK 23 Nos, 25 Docld: 32266681 22 There are two other matters I would bring to your atten- tion. One is an outstanding issue. Former President Ford was a member of the Warren Commission, — Some time in the next thigh —o sieiy days he probably ought to be talked to and I would solicit your advice on the way in which that a occurs. If he is in town for another purpose, it might be appropriate to have an executive session in which he could . x come in and talk about the Warren Commissiorand his role on it. If he is going to be in Colorado for any period of ge 15
§!. Reproduced from the holdings of the Na ional Archives HSCA (RG™ ; j 10 11 12 oo 7 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 - 7 23 ‘. ests ‘ ra} . pond ae 24 25 20 time, it might be appropriate for three members of the committee to go out and see him. I would suppose that prior to contacting him in a formal sense, it might be appropriate for the. chairman to call him and outline for him the general areas of our interest and concern. Most of the other principal figures in the Warren Commission and cabinet who we have talked to, of all of them, obviously President Ford presents a special problem, Mr. Devine. I know he has accepted an engagement at the Danny Thomas. Hospital out there. I could in-quire and find out when he will be in the Washington area. Mrs. Burke. Given our financial situation, if he is here, it would be preferred if we could do it here. Mr. Devine. He will be. glad to do this without publicity because if the word gets out we are going to questio him, it would be difficult. Perhaps he could be met somewhere off the Hill. | Mrs. Burke. I am sure that could be arranged. Mr.Dodd. This doesn't relate directly to President Ford, but are we going to bother with inhabitants of the car -- Mrs. Burke. We have talked to Governor Connally. We have not: talked to Mrs. Connally. Mr. Dodd. Are we going to pursue that in the committee? DocId: 32266681 Pape 16
|. Reproduced from the holdings of the National Archives HSCA (RG 233) * 2 « “rs 10 11 12 14 15 16 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 DoclId: 322766631 FP e 21 Mrs. Burke. It is likely Governor Connally might be a witness in the hearings. We didn't feel it was necessary to present him to you in executive session. Mr. Dodd. We will be apprised of what he will be saying. Mr. Blakey. Absolutely. Mr.Dodd. There is no reason to call Mrs. Kennedy, I presume? Mr.Blakey. I hadn't thought about it. I have not talked to the former First Lady. Mr.Devine. I can anticipate a from President Ford, what do you want to talk about? Mrs. Burke. If you are going to make that phone call what we should give you before hand is a briefing memorandum where we outline for you the various areas. Frankly, I think the committee probably has a duty to, in addition to going over how it was formed, and the pressures under which it worked, airing what came out of the release of the FBI document. That is, had Congressman Ford served as an information conduit for the FBI from the Warren Commission. There are memoranda written by de Loach indicating that is the case. I am aware that ‘the newspapers or, I think it is CBS, has talked to President Ford about that and he has an explanation for it. I do not think that interview has been aired. I believe it was NBC, where Carl Stern talked to him. 17
wares to est i f the National Archives HSCA. RG 223) 4 Reproduced from the holdings ° ' : renin Hi AG B 20 21 22 23 24 25 Docld: 322766681 22 We will be able to give you a memorandun. Do I sense a consensus on the part of the committee that is the way we should proceed? Mr. Devine. It doesn't make any difference to me. However you want to do it. Mr.Stokes. It would appear that then is the way we should proceed. Mr. Blakey. there is one other item I would bring up at this time before I suggest we go into the briefing and that is if the committee wants to discuss the memorandum that I circulated to you with the suggested date for the King hearings, the Kennedy hearings, and the King hearings again in the public meetings -- I think,Mr. Edgar, you wanted to speak to that. Mr. Edgar. I have a couple of questions, or one specific one that I need to raise and that is, Floyd Fithian and I have been fairly active in the Kingone and we have tough elections and we may be counting fifty votes or one hundred votes at four o'clock in the morning. I notice in the schedule the day after the election we are scheduled to be heard at nine o'clock for a public session. I think that is inappropriate. Mr. McKinney. Let's call it impossible. Mr. Edgar. I would rather come on a Saturday or make one of them nine to twelve or nine to five to make up for the ge 18