PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION: THE MEN AND THE JOB

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP70-00058R000300040097-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 1998
• Sequence Number: 97
• Publication Date: February 13, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

'NATION;"L SECURITY' VS. THE FACTS ABOUT OSWALD
CPYRGHT
CPYRGHT
esi . ` g 1ssi ? .
P
CPYRGHT
H EP JUSTICE Earl Warren's state-
~cnt about withholc7inr certain evi-
nc i;at?hered by the President's Com-
t nd i disclosure. But his remark, which
h ? h mself excused as "facetious," may
1 ve revealed more about the approach
o th seven-member panel than many of
t 1e ificial P1'onounceanonts issued by
t e mni scion since It was created by
c;;i ent Johnson Nov. 29.
W. "yen's statement did two things:
(1) 1 strengthened the belief that mat-
t rs f "national security" are indeed in-
vi lye in the investigation of Kennedy's
death, centering on the person of . Lee H.
Iva d; (2) it created further doubts
tl at he story of the events in Dallas on
t. c w do end of Nov. 22 ever will be fully
r veal d.
Pr !dent Johnson instructed the+ com-
ssi n to "satisfy Itself that the truth
Is kn wn... end report its findings" to
tl c u rid. His ability to induce Warren
nee in the commission based
rren leadership and the selec-
t7 N 1)ENCE: Moderate and liberal
cle. , usually wary of such a right-
w n; isproportion, Immediately express-
CP
of them
si, t the
.sa d Jan
'The
DX recce
Denstr
UY t J.
o uus el
~i Nets
tstanding staff members (many
with liberal reputations) to as-
onservative group. The Nation
27:
onfidence wlch we previously.
in the Warren Commission has
igthened by the announcement
'e Rankin has been selected as
nd that Normar~_"1?cdlich, of
':x?.. that when the commission issues a final
report-as is expected, in basic agree-
ment with FBI allegations _ Oswaid's
After nearly three months, it ap-
pears that the commission's primary
function Is the formidable task of dis-
pelling world-wide Uneasiness about the
'circumstances surrounding the violent
death of America's 35th President, rath-
er than a disinterested exploration and
~ exposure of the myriad circumstances
(.that abound In the "Crime- of the cen-
tury."
Earl Warren is but one of seven men
--One of eight, actually, if President
Johnson is included. These are the other
six members of the Presidential panel: i
? Sen. Richard Russell (D-Gn_i_ an
powerful man in Congress, he -has+? the
Idistinction of being personally respon-
.- sible for delaying more civil rights legis-
] lation than any other senator. He is a
l
c
ose friend of Johnson. Soon after the'
Cuban missile crisis of 1962, Russell told
a television audience:
"If we ever can ? com
l
t
l
p
e
e
y assure
will serve as Mr. Rankin's personal as., peace in this hemisphere, we are going
sistant " 1, to have to get rid of Castro. I would be
The same issue contained a rccapitu-?I in favor of doing it now . . lation of reports that have appeared In'( Oswald is said to have been pro-Castro .s
several publications, including the (though he attempted to contact an anti-
GUARDIAN, concerning Oswald's pos- Castro group in New Orleans and lied
Bible connection with. the FBI or Central ' about his correction With Fair Play
Intelligence Agency, The article said, for Cuba), Would Russell be an:, sous to
the commission "must tell us if the FBI 1. ? dispel the charge that the person ac-
or any other government intelligence 1-cused of killing Kennedy had pro-Cuban
agency was in any way connected with sympathies?
the alleged assassin." ?.. Soon after Kennedy's impressive civil 'l
QUESTION OF GUILT: Is the commis rights speech last June, Russell said:
Sion prepared to make public such In "I hope that the American people will
formation? In view of Warren's state- not be~swept further d
own Lite road to
York University Law School , , ' ment, It would appear that the panel socialisni?,by. ? the present unprecedented
would consider this against the national.. wave df propaganda [for civil rights). To
Interest. It also seemed to feel that,its .~ me, the President's legislative proposals
job was not to find the assassin. are clearly destructive of the Ain
erican
"The commission is not engaged In de- I system and the constitutional rights of
termining the guilt of anybody," said 1: American citizens." :,...;, .... -
Rankin in rejecting a plea by Mrs. Mar-''i ivOII~~I1tI8aJ
guerite Oswald that lawyer Mark Lane =L-i
be allowed t~ ApranA 4o,. late sett durfn r
panel hearings. But there is little doubt
Sanitized Approved For Release.-CIA-RC'P70-00058R000300040097-8