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Posted on 10/04/2003 10:35:07 AM PDT by Ernie.cal
FBI vs. John Birch Society on civil rights movement
Re: * Alan Stang's It's Very Simple book -and- * Highlander Folk School controversy, Martin Luther King Jr photo
Control and domination of the civil rights movement by subversive elements is a constant theme in JBS literature during the 1960's. In the June 1965 JBS Bulletin, Robert Welch observed:
"Our task must be simply to make clear that the movement known as 'civil rights' is Communist-plotted, Communist-controlled, and in fact...serves only Communist purposes."
In the November 1965 JBS Bulletin, Mr. Welch strongly recommends Alan Stang's book entitled It's Very Simple: The True Story of Civil Rights, because, in Welch's words...
"It gives the whole picture of the 'civil rights' development, as a part of Communist strategy, more completely and convincingly than anything else available."
Again, in May 1966, Mr. Welch used the JBS Bulletin to praise the Stang book:
"This book, because of its thoroughness, its comprehensive coverage of the whole 'civil rights' story, and its meticulous documentation, is the best single searchlight we have for exposing the 'civil rights' fraud."
In May 1965, the Special Agent in Charge of the Boston FBI Field Office forwarded proof sheets of the Stang book to FBI Headquarters, two months before scheduled publication. An evaluation of the book was prepared for Assistant Director W.C. Sullivan by F.J. Baumgardner:
"It's Very Simple is an attempt to rationalize today's civil rights movement in this country as primarily a communist operation...Practically all his documentation is to public source material and there is no significant information in the book which appears to be new and previously unknown to the Bureau. Stang makes frequent use of literary license and importantly fails to include documentation for key passages (examples appear on pages 101 and 185). An entire chapter (14) is devoted to an attack on civil rights legislation and the book, in general, is critical of all Administration and other efforts aimed at improving the lot of the Negro." [100-106670-1412, May 28, 1965, and 100-106670-1525, June 24, 1965, both F.J. Baumgardner to W.C. Sullivan].
The concluding "Observations" paragraph states:
"The details of the book do not support the strong conclusions reached by the author. We have had available to us all the material which Stang has plus considerable additional data from our investigations and we could not arrive at such conclusions. The impression is received that Stang may have well started with his conclusions and then developed the information and manner of presentation which he hoped would prove his point. This work must be viewed in the light of the author's apparent close connections with Robert Welch and the John Birch Society." [Ibid]
NOTE: At this point it is appropriate to introduce some context about Alan Stang's research habits to supplement the FBI's evaluation:
Alan Stang authored the article appearing in the Birch Society magazine, American Opinion, that resulted in the historic libel lawsuit by Elmer Gertz against Robert Welch, Inc.
After 14 years of litigation and appeals, the JBS paid Mr. Gertz $400,000. However, the JBS (which describes itself as an "educational" organization, "whose only weapon is the truth") didn't consider the litigation result to be of significant "educational" value to share with its members nor did they retract their defamatory comments about Gertz---even though, during the trial, they admitted "falsehoods" were contained in their article.
The trial court judge in that case (Robert A. Sprecher) described Alan Stang as...
"a writer with a known and unreasonable propensity to label persons or organizations as Communist...There was more than enough evidence for the jury to conclude that this article was published with utter disregard for the truth or falsity of the statements contained in the article about Gertz." [Elmer Gertz: Gertz vs. Robert Welch, Inc.: The Story of a Landmark Libel Case; Southern Illinois University Press, 1992, page 206]
In 1965, J. Edgar Hoover described the civil rights movement as "a great and too long neglected cause of human rights" in our country. [FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, Introduction, April 1965].
After warning about radicals who had no genuine interest in advancing civil rights, Hoover observed in a December 1964 speech, that:
"Let me emphasize that the American civil rights movement is not, and has never been dominated by the communists--because the overwhelming majority of civil rights leaders in this country, both Negro and white, have recognized and rejected communism as a menace to the freedoms of all." [J. Edgar Hoover, 12/12/64, Our Heritage of Greatness, pg 7 - Hoover speech before Pennsylvania Society and the Society of Pennsylvania Women; emphasis in original].
HIGHLANDER FOLK SCHOOL:
The Birch Society and its front-organization TACT (Truth About Civil Turmoil) were responsible for widespread distribution of a postcard showing Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. "attending a Communist training school." The school was identified as Highlander Folk School (HFS) in Monteagle, TN.
Alan Stang discusses HFS and the photograph in his book and he describes Highlander as "this Communist school". [It's Very Simple: The True Story of Civil Rights; Western Islands Publishers, 1965, page 114)
The famous photograph of Dr. King at Highlander was taken by Ed Friend. Mr. Friend described himself as "an undercover agent" for the Georgia Commission on Education (GCE).
Ed Friend was hired by the Chairman of the GCE, Governor Marvin Griffin of Georgia. Mr. Griffin was a life-long segregationist and co-founder of the States Rights Council of GA, an organization, like the GCE itself that was devoted to preventing integration in Georgia. Given that background, is it any surprise that Governor Griffin was a welcomed speaker at White Citizens Councils and States Rights Council functions?
Mr. Friend attended a 1957 Labor Day weekend seminar at HFS and took a picture of a group of individuals seated in an auditorium, one of whom was Dr. King.
When the GCE published its pamphlet on Highlander, it described the HFS seminar as being "held to discuss methods and tactics for precipitating racial strife and disturbances."
Subsequently, Ed Friend testified before a Tennessee legislative hearing concerning what he "learned" during his "investigation" of Highlander. The excerpt appearing below, reveals his underlying motivation:
"Q: Mr. Friend, was that a subversive meeting there at that time? A: It was subversive, sir, to the way that I have been taught to live in America. Q: Explain that to the committee. A: I have been taught by southern tradition to keep the races separate. I was taught to go to Sunday school and Church. I was taught to respect the other fellow's habitat...Up here it seems like all of those things weren't even considered. It is the primary motive of this group to tear down the forces that were trying to keep the races separate."
FBI DOCUMENTS ON HIGHLANDER:
A July 1963 FBI memo summarizes their file on Highlander Folk School:
"Due to the interracial character of the School, it has been the subject of numerous allegations that it represented the headquarters of communism in east Tennessee. An extensive investigation was conducted in 1941 and 1942 as a result of the allegations. These allegations have never been substantiated and much of the information of a subversive derogatory nature concerning this School was later repudiated by the individuals who previously furnished the information...This organization has continuously been involved in the integration movement and as a result charges are being continuously made that it is 'communist'. These charges are based mainly on the opinion of the individuals making the charges that being pro-integration is being pro-communist." [64-7511-286, July 26, 1963, F.J. Baumgardner to W.C. Sullivan].
In 1963, Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett testified before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee against a proposed public accommodations bill. Governor Barnett raised the issue of Dr. King's attendance at HFS. An FBI memo on the controversy concludes:
"FBI files concerning the HFS show that this school was the subject of a security investigation which was closed in 1943...No information was developed that the school offered courses of instruction on communism nor that the Communist Party ever succeeded in gaining control of the school. Due to its interracial character, however, the HFS has been the subject of numerous past allegations that it represents the headquarters for communism in eastern Tennessee." [July 13, 1963 FBI memo from J.F. Bland to W.C. Sullivan].
This according to the FBI Freedom of Information Act: http://foia.fbi.gov/hfschool.htm
By penetrate, you mean infiltrate? Or beyond that?
(We can only speculate on their success.)
Well, they've done what they were instructed to do and then some. The Communist Party has penetrated, ejaculated, and impregnated all three.
MLK Rally marked by Bush, Ashcroft bashing & absence of US flags; Speaker Praises Mugabe
KING'S “DREAM” BECOMES A NIGHTMARE - Billy Thye of the American Indian Movement said the real terrorist in the world was the U.S. government, while Obi Egbuna of the Pan African Liberation Organization praised black racist Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe and urged the lifting of the economic embargo of communist Cuba. He said, “We must stand behind Mugabe,” whose policies are starving half of his population. On the other hand, he branded U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell “a murderer.”
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