Evening star., 1949-06-28
Second OF Tmo Articles

sSSCCEG OF MO AfAGsfS}
Indignation over the publication o. ~un-
evalaaied" FBI reports ~ the Coplon trial
has resulted IN demands for m Investigation
Of FBI methods and polseaes There Is no
need for such An investigation. There Is
nothing unique or mysterious about FBI tn
vestisative methods Nor are its policies
dark and sinister.
The FBI Is investigated regularly by com
pe.ent committees Of Congress Twice esch
year Director J. Edgar Hoover personally
appears before the appropriations commit
tees to justify his requests for funds, More
often than not the Senators and Representa-
tives direct . eross-fire OF searching eues-
tons at Mr.. Hoover and his assistAnts- They
ask questions which would be grossly em-
barraxsing the methods and the policies
Of the bureau we're dark and sinister M
Hoover answers an questions freely and
frankly. sometimes requesting that his
answers be received "on the record" Mem
bers of the committees have found no in
dication that Mr.. Hoover aspires TO or ap-
proves Of police-state methods. They have
found no evidence TO support recent loose
charges that the FBI has become or is in
danger Of becoming. an American Gestapo.
Opposes Federal Gestape.
There Is no stronger opponent OF q great
central Federal police agency than Mr..
Hoover. Repeatedly he has opposed sug-
gestions that his bureau be expanded to In
clude all Federal investigative agencies. He
does not believe that Federal police functions
should encroach on local police authority
In any way.
Because Mr.. Hoover 20 strongly rejects
Gestapo methods. he can see no merit what
ever In the contention that the FBI should
exercise discretion In it, investigations. He
once told . prominent editor that II the
~ n RI ~ nm n ~
for itself which suspects to investigate and
which not to investigate. what Information
to receive and what to reject, then there
viii be cause to fear that II has become .
0estapo.
The prestige of the FBI has been built on
its record Of nondiscrimination. on its OBJ
jectivity. No citizen Is too distinguished to
warrant rejection. without investigation. Of
. charge against him. No person is too
something to report to the FBI.
It was an anonymous letter to the FBI
which ultimately led to the arrest and con-
viction of Maj. Gen. Bennett Meyers for
subornation Of perjury. The letter made
such seemingly farfetched charges against
the prominent Air Force ofncer as to in
dicate spitework. Mr.. Hoover read the
letter and. under the prevailing arrange
ment with the Armed Forces. forwarded
II 70 the Air Force. II. later was
brought out that q top-ranking ofhcer. con-
vinced of Gen. Meyers innocence. threw the
letter In the wastebasket. Many months
later the case broke from another source.
Gen. Meyers might have gone to jail . lot
earlier had the information In the anony-
nous letter been properly checked by the
Air Force. tThe Air Force has arranged
with the FBI to conduct such investigations
for it in the future)
Hearsay Trapped Spies.
Numerous spies we're caught during the
war as a result of rumors and hearsay which
the FBI took note Of and investigated. Some
Of the tips were Of sketchy and apparently
crackpot variety.
A woman reported that she suspected .
neighbor Of being . spy. Her only reason for
such Q grave suspicion. she admitted. was
that although he was supposed to be doc
tor. she never saw him carry . bag. The
agent might have dropped the matter right
there. as he had lot Of important things TO
do. but he decided TO check further on the
doctor. The man did. indeed turn out to be
q German agent. He was arrested and
convicted.
At dinner party Mr.. Hoover was told By
prominent motion picture actress that she