14-00000 ee - . See tees Nf "Face ‘the Nati on!" yea oo : 4 : eh gt oe Tete In May, 1966, King wv was extended an invitation to appear on the Columbia Broadcasting System's program "Face the Nation." Prior to this appearance, King sought the advice | _ of Stanley Levison and Clarence Jones, King wanted their . thinking on the more important questions he might be asked, .. Levison noted the possibility that King might be questioned . 3 -.on the Vietnam war. Jones advised King to use the Southern 0) 0:3! - Christian Leadership Conference resolution on Vietnam as his ; -.. text. i Levison:suggested that King should also point out how —° nfair it was that Negroes were shouldering a.heavier burden |= <, fin the war ‘and thatimore Negroes were in combat than other, Pee ~ “Americans. , a . afl eH A RED OC EET Pete eee eo ee aH eat a) : . Gn RE ree EER CRIONTOMES BREE as ow rT GD Yio mM GAT ee we i- te aft fe "When ‘King “appeared | on the program, he suggested i \ ne United States stop bombing North Vietnam, negotiate | a ith the Viet Cong, and recognize | Red China, -. oo nan a i Senate Hearings | aca wo et or <7 Prior to his appedrance before a Senate Sub- Commit tee a hearing on urban affairs in December, 1966, King contacted’ as |. Levison for counsel concerning his testimony. Ducing this . :'- discussion, it was. agreed ‘that King mast reiterate during ''.o 0° -+-his testimony that the war in Vietnam is standing.in the 9. “)0 '" way of the implementation of any of his civil rights projects ~ and i$,,an, open i invitation to confusion, chaos, Lsruptions,, and riots. "" an a 2 During his subsequent testimony before this conmittee,. he spoke’ critically of the war in Vietnam along these a dines. & nr a - Mthe Nation" Symposium . “in late February, 1967, King spoke before a 5. symposiun | sponsored by "The Nation" magazine concerning the problems of | .  wedirecting "American Power." After this speech in which King | - , Was highly, critical of the United States involvement: in vy deci ; : é be ‘ i
14-00000 — se, Savon anf ot . : }rene gma . ‘Viethen, Levison congratulated him. “Levison was pleased with the ‘publicity King! s speech received, commenting that King's appearance on'a’ panel with ‘four, United States Senators was the appropriate occasion for him to express his: antiwar ‘sentiments, °-* mot ‘Over the: years a number of individuals who have » wie “been eiiployed at one time or another by "Th ta ag “editorial and' writing capacities have been ideh the “communist movement yn af eo + tag. at a + : ery wobe . _ Riverside Church: Speech *: a ek Pe a crab O51 BED RAEE ROR Te EM MOR CREE SSMEgS REET m PIe as ew a Insearly April, 1967 King accedted an 4 invitation. ‘te db h. i. 8 eak. before -the group, "Clergy and Lay Concerned About Vietnam! This’ is an interdenominationa committfe formed oh . : Prior to this speech, \ ing. sand nek Director of SCLC, spent approximately eight ho with King's: top advisors in New York, New York .. and Barry Wachtel, were present: at this’ conferey rs in conference  _ | Stanley Levison . _ ee |. Later that same day, King ‘spoke at the Riverside J chureh;" ' New York’, New York, before this group, at which time | “he was highly critical of the United States involvement in. _ the Vietnam war." He referred to the United States Government as "the greatest purveyor of violence in the world today." He- " proposed a five- -step process to extricate the United States -£rom this conflict. ‘Comments in the news media coverage of King's: - remarks pointed! out! that the five points are similar in concept. to the conditions imposed by North Vietnam as a prerequisite . “to negotiations.:'!It:is interesting to note that King's _ proposals parallel the propaganda line which the Communist Party, USA, has been! projecting regarding 1 the | war in Vietnam. : ¥ t ’ eo, Spring e Moffitization’ ae oa . HY tf, avi conference in the Fall of 1966, of the @tace - h6 it was tentatively decided to eee nassivespeace demonstrations on April 15, 1967, in New York Uy ar PL individuals in attendance, seventy- -five were member's of the so , a t
14-00000 "9 to discuss the progress ‘Levison was making in the writing of } = accepted. King particulariy liked the part indicating that - Johnson and James West, both of wnom are members of the a: ‘ Communist Party, USA, National Comad G@5e : .- byt H i a a changed. -its name to@pring Jip Mobilization Committee to End tie Mar in Vietnam) et { u _. of the Spring Mobilization Committee at. ‘the United Nations. Socialist Workers Party or its youth group, the Young Socialist = | Allianee, The Communist Party was represented by Arnold. ae This group subsequent, Reverend’): Revel on leave ‘from soups i Christian Leadership - On April 13, 1967, Levison and King were in contact, the speech King was to deliver on April 15, 1967, to a rally . the United States should unilaterally withdray from Vietnan, He also enjoyed the part where he would appeal to the country ane to "demand insistently that our. Governnentihonor Hanol's & an promise to negotiate i Lf the bombiiigs | ‘cease,’ 4 - The CPUSA was delight ed with King's actions in a abe this regard, The recognized Leader of 22 million Negroes. . og. : had openly attacked his country's policy in Vietnam, He “s, participated in the largest rally ever staged against the “Vietnam war by being the keynote speaker. In his speech a a King again called for the withdrawal of United States troops (4 from Vietnam, ‘King was helping the CPUSA achieve its goal | of uniting the Negro movement with the peace issue. “The Worker"! expressed: the .CPUSA's pleasure in the May 7, 1967, issue where it stated in part, "When affirms that the present war in Vietnam threatens all democratic and progressive advance in the United States oo and does so for economic, political, ethical and psychological - muy cep was appointed Executive Director of this Comittee. iy Re ort e rn . . . owen ae epee be e on : ot ee "ee! wb gh ¢ Po wood te 8 6 6e pome “easy ed .. Dr. King insists upon. the connection between aggressive <=‘ 7: °.], _ foreign policy and regressive domestic policy he insists ‘'. 9: °.-// '- pon what is true and consequential, When Dr, King points: - 7 ‘to the racism common in colonialism and jim crow he points to . that: which is historically demonstrable. ‘When Dr, King
14-00000 ’ . © . . . . *. ( “hme acts of . pene pee FA :” Yeasons,, ‘again he is Saying what every Fact and every day's’ an oat “/, events confirm, , Hence Dr. King, precisely as a leader.in “9; * 0: -[.:) . the/struggle against jim crow, must be--and is--a leader nr oe in the Struggle against war. " I: ae . '. Being the astute advisor he is, and to , keep King - DES oo From being openly aligned with the CPUSA, Levison advised ee . King to align himself with those individuals who have li |i. poouth p- :. power™ rather than be aligned with a fringe antiwar. element. '- 45 } _ |. He was to make the new alignment after | his April 15, 1967, abe phe King’ for President ‘ : coh ee Pas a i Hog we Vea a “The fringe element Levison referred to was eee S| ill Lo attempting: to persuade King to run for President on a Bah oan | i. peace ticket.” On April 19, 1967, Levison and Wachtel:. 03, 9. fis fe “conferred concerning King's politiczl possibilities, cee PD RLY . According to Wathtel, a pacifist group. was meeting that day are ie in an effort to get King to agreq,to run for President with 9 3:1 _Dr.CBanjamin Shock, ‘he antiwar’ ‘agitator, a& his Vice ee ee _: Presidential-gandidate. Both: Levison and Wachtel agreed bso. || | that it was’ too é ly and that King should not. agree to ‘run. BO a] fat this, time, at _ Ww - ae ee ne “The CPUSA again ‘seized the opportunity to cause. Te © dissension’ and unrest in the country by announcing they would “i. of] |; support King, and Spock on a peace ticket, At a May Day, 1967, 9°) ~| | ' program’ in Berkeley, California, Gus Hall stated, "The Party =, 74| ~: forces ‘should: begin work right now to elect these two men Sok ed | “e because they, are, for peace in Vietnam," . Sof VRP eas oo Wo " Barly in May, 1967, Levison was still- concerned re with | King’s’ being identified with the peace movement rather Bee - +) than ‘civil rights. When ‘approached by peace groups attempting ©. — to get King'to continue to run.for President, Levison informed ... _|| _.. those representatives that King would talk. on Vietnam on ote _. occasion to various groups, but that would be ‘the extent of oS - his involvements oe, ; ee ay me Pa 7 | SECRET |.