Three TLS on FBI letterhead, all to Massachusetts attorney J. Ellis Bowen, various lengths, 1961. Some excerpts: “I can readily understand your deep concern over the grave threat posed by communism. It is most encouraging to learn of your endeavors to combat this menace. I have always felt that private citizens acting through their civic, labor, religious, educational and similar organizations, constitute one of the most effective weapons for overcoming the Communist Party…. To further clarify the question of speeches on communism by FBI representatives, I thought you would like to know that because of the complexity and nationwide scope of the communist threat … it has been the FBI’s policy to restrict such speeches to those made by specialists in this field assigned to our headquarters in Washington, D.C… The film, ‘Operation Abolition,’ was sponsored and distributed by the Committee on Un-American Activities … and the FBI did not participate in its preparation or distribution…. The publication, ‘Communist Target—Youth,’ concerning the San Francisco riot in May, 1960, was based on information from the FBI’s investigation of Communist party activities, from eyewitnesses on the scene, and from official reports of local authorities involved….” Each of the letters is stapled to an unsigned carbon of the recipient’s respective letter to Hoover. Staples as noted and light handling wear, otherwise fine condition. RRAuction COA.
