(Testimony of Winston G. , Accompanied By Fred B. Smith, Lawson)
Representative Ford.
in Dallas had any program or interest in killing the President?
Mr. Lawson.
No; I did not.
Representative Ford.
You had this investigation made of this group in Dallas because of the Stevenson incident?
Mr. Lawson.
Yes, sir; I didn't have the investigation made, because I don't think I would be in the position to have it made. Mr. Sorrels or PRS or something like that could have. I asked, since we knew that there were these individuals, and an incident had occurred in the past; although no threat to the President was known, perhaps we had better at least try to find out if they were going to do anything, which is what I did.
Representative Ford.
When you go on with responsibility to a particular community, do you normally inquire of groups of one kind or another that have a reputation for political activity of one sort or another?
Mr. Lawson.
Not for just political activity; no, sir.
Representative Ford.
I meant political activity in the broader sense; not one political party versus another, but political extremist groups.
Mr. Lawson.
No, sir; usually, if there is going to be any picketing, an extremist group or something like that, it will come from the police sources or another Federal source. They will tell us that they have heard that certain individuals are going to hang signs from a window as we go by, or demonstrate, or something like that.
Representative Ford.
Did you ask the Dallas police or any other local authorities if they knew of any individuals or groups that might be a threat to the President?
Mr. Lawson.
I knew that Special Agent Howlett had been in contact with them, both about the informants and going over to view the films. I did not, except when I saw this one piece of literature, and asked them if they knew anything about it.
Representative Ford.
Did Special Agent Howlett report to you of what contacts he had made with the Dallas police or other local law-enforcement authorities on this point?
Mr. Lawson.
In generalities, yes, sir. He told me that he had seen an informant outside of the city of Dallas, and that this informant had been active in some of the movements; that he had quit because he was afraid, but to his knowledge there was nothing going to occur.
Representative Ford.
Do you when you have this responsibility rely on somebody else to ask the local people, or do you ask the questions yourself of any groups that they know of or any individuals that they know of locally?
Mr. Lawson.
I believe it would depend on the circumstances. In this case I knew that Special Agent Howlett was in contact with them. At no time you usually ask the police if they know of anything that is going to occur, but, as I said, just regular political groups, unless I know that they have anything to do with the President, I have never done so.
Mr. Dulles.
Would that include the Fair Play for Cuba Committee or Communist groups or extreme rightist groups?
Mr. Lawson.
It would have up until that time; yes, sir.
Representative Ford.
Certainly the Fair Play for Cuba Committee was one that took violent exception to this country's policies, and they were active in a number of communities, including New York, as I recall. It is my recollection that the President, prior to the assassination, had been to New York at a time that this organization was active. What I am trying to find out is, if the PRS doesn't provide you with information about an individual or an organization, is it your responsibility to actually make extra checks locally, based on your own knowledge or your own experience?
Mr. Lawson.
Well, I believe it would be my responsibility if I knew of any organization that did advocate the killing or the harming of the President.
Representative Ford.
There was no specific information that you had in this case that the so-called rightwing extremist groups----
Mr. Lawson.
That is right.
Representative Ford.
Had that in mind?
Mr. Lawson.
That is right; that is correct. It was also my understanding that, if anything was known about some of these other groups going to plan
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