(Testimony of Winston G. , Accompanied By Fred B. Smith, Lawson)
Mr. Lawson.
of something occurring in New York. But again I don't know why it is in New York and not usual in other places.
Mr. Stern.
Was the organization of the motorcade in Dallas typical, apart from New York?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes. Quite typical.
Mr. Stern.
Would it be the same in Billings, Mont. or would you have additional strength in the motorcade in Dallas?
Mr. Lawson.
As far as escorting people, there were more people in Dallas.
Mr. Stern.
More celebrities?
Mr. Lawson.
No; by escorting people I meant motorcycles or something like that. Again it depends on where you are, even if they have motorcycles or how many they have. But the makeup of the motorcade vehicles itself, again depending on who is coming and how many cars you have is pretty generally the same. A pilot car, a lead car, the President's car, motorcycles if you have them, some motorcycles if you have them along the side of the motorcade to help keep it intact or if it gets split up as it has on occasion to be able to catch them up and rear vehicles to keep them from passing the motorcade, et cetera.
Mr. Stern.
And the one Presidential followup car.
Mr. Lawson.
And the Secret Service followup car; yes, sir. This was my first movement with the President and the Vice President all at the same time. That was quite out of the ordinary.
Mr. Stern.
And there you added a Vice-Presidential followup car?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir.
Mr. Stern.
Performing the same function as the Presidential followup?
Mr. Lawson.
That is correct.
Mr. Stern.
But apart from the motorcycles, I take it if you had been in Billings, Mont., the organization of the motorcade would have been the same; is that correct?
Mr. Lawson.
Just about the same; yes, sir.
Mr. Stern.
I would like to touch briefly on the selection of the Trade Mart and the security measures there, having in mind that your three memorandums cover this in great detail. If you could just highlight and indicate if in any respect your memorandums are inaccurate or incomplete. The record will rely primarily on your memorandums.
Mr. Lawson.
I don't know of any incorrectness in it. There might be.
Mr. Stern.
Or any detail that you would want to add?
Mr. Lawson.
No; I can't. If you have some specific questions.
Mr. Stern.
Why don't you just summarize then how the Trade Mart was selected, your participation in it, the consideration of alternatives, the decision ultimately to use the Trade Mart, whether you had any particular preference between the Trade Mart and the other building that was considered. Take that part of it first.
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir. The morning after we arrived in Dallas, late in the morning, we, Mr. Sorrels and Mr. Puterbaugh and myself and another agent from Dallas, Agent Stewart, went to Mr. Cullum's office who is the president of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce, a local businessman who was acting as subcommittee chairman I guess for the local host committee.
Mr. Stern.
I don't think we need this much detail because we have your memorandum. If you could just tell us in general terms where you went and the considerations.
Mr. Lawson.
Some of us went to Mr. Cullum's office and after talking with him there for a while we went to the Trade Mart, met with representatives of the Trade Mart, the general manager of the Trade Mart, and were shown generally around the building, told how they usually handled luncheons or dinners or dances that are held there.
Mr. Stern.
Were there particular security problems that the Trade Mart presented?
Mr. Lawson.
There were balconies there and also it was a building that would be used by other people that day. However, this is somewhat good because it wasn't exactly a public building where anyone could wander in. The lessees of the showrooms there or their customers have to be checked in. You either have to be a lessee or a bona fide customer of a showroom in order to even get
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