LETTER TO JAMES R. SCHLESINGER FROM A. B. J. HAMMETT RE MANY PHASES OF THE WATERGATE HEARINGS (SAM ERWIN'S TELEVISION SPECTACULAR) WAS THE UNNECESSARY AND MUCH PUBLICIZED REFERENCES MADE FOR THE BENEFIT OF WORLD-WIDE VIEWERS AND LISTENERS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 01482380
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2022
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2017
• Case Number: F-2007-00094
• Publication Date: September 18, 1973

Box 3365
Victoria, Texas 77901
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Telephone
[phone]
A. B. J. HAMMETT
INVESTMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
September 18, 1973
Director James R. Schlesinger
Central Intelligence Agency
Washington, D. C. 20505
Dear Sir:
One of the many phases of the Watergate Hearings ( Sam Erwin's television spectacular)
was the unnecessary and much publicized references made for the benefit of world-wide
viewers and listeners to sensitive and more or less confidential issues and in this case I
refer in particular to the many references to the C.I.A. and its activities within and
without this country.
As you well recall, the C.I.A. was dragged around, there were hearsay statements
repeated and re-repeated by the publicity seeking Senators on the panel, inferences
were made by many that the C.I.A. was involved in illegal and subversive activities
not only at home but abroad, the operation of the C.I.A. as accused involving the
election of the late President of Chile was a prime example of what could very easily
be termed by any responsible individual as a sensitive issue that could only bring
repercussions as the hearsay and unfounded statements were broadcast to countries all
over the world.
At the time all of this was going on, many concerned American citizens were then won-
dering what the world-wide repercussions were going to be from this particular angle?
These concerned citizens and taxpayers are interested in America and its future apparently
to a greater degree than our Senators on the Watergate Committee who were furnishing
a propaganda media for foreign governments and especially those governments who do
not have the best interest of the United States at heart. If such reckless hearsay and
other sensitive exposures were repeated constantly and publicized through the news media
and television as the Erwin Committee was doing, foreign governments for years in the
future would have one of the best propaganda devices given them, with which to condemn
the United States Government and accuse it of interfering in their foreign affairs through
the C.I.A. and other activites of the United States Government, including our office
of the President.
In my opinion we are now witnessing one of the first direct repercussions from the Erwin
Watergate circus through the various Latin Governments to our South which we all know
have been infiltrated over the past number of years by Communist Cuba and other Com-
munist leftist countries who have excited the people and have been condemning the
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United States as an imperialistic power, etc. They have been dividing our people
from the Latin people which is something that should definitely not happen as we have
tried for years and should continue to try to build a better relationship with all of the
Latin countries South of the United States, beginning with Mexico. Unfortunately,
due to the many circumstances involved, our Latin neighbors to the South have been
leaning more and more to their socialistic and Communistic friends and now in my
opinion the Erwin Watergate Committee has given these "leftist" people the ammuni-
tion that they have been needing, to convince the people of Latin and South America,
that the United States is directly interfering in their affairs and is a dangerous element
to have in their community. Already we have been hearing and reading the headlines
that the U. S. Government was behind the over-throw of the Chilean government, the
loss of their President and all of the other things. Now many of the radical leaders are
threatening reprisals against Americans, U. S. citizens and others. They say we will
have to pay for this in our blood. We may see attacks upon our Embassy officials,
on U. S. citizens who are residents or in business in those countries, we may see
reprisals against U. S. business activities and we might even see quite a blood bath
in many places before the years will pass and this situation can be corrected in the
minds of the people of these various Latin countries, thanks to the Erwin Committee.�
With the planned continuation of the Watergate Hearings, I believe it is the duty of
every thinking American we have in our government, in Washington, to take the
necessary steps to prevent any further televised and publicized spectaculars which are
in no way doing this country anything except a great deal of harm and irreparable
damage such as that which has already taken place in Chile and the idea of blame
on the United States, immediately accepted and spread to Mexico and other countries
in South America. We do have some very irresponsible people in our government
who are more interested in publicity and apparently for self-gain, than they are in
the preservation of peace in the world and the operation of a better government here
at home. If we have people of this character in our United States Senate, why do
we need to further worry about enemies elsewhere?
Yours very truly,
73
A. B. 1, Hammett
A BJ H/vg
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