(Testimony of Bernard William , Accompanied By Weissman)
Mr. Weissman.
Bill, Larrie, and I went to the post office together. I signed for the box.
Representative Ford.
Do you recall the date?
Mr. Weissman.
It was the same---the morning--the same morning I originally went to get the ad laid out at the Morning News.
Representative Ford.
Has it been discontinued?
Mr. Weissman.
The box? Yes; I received a communication from Larrie. He said the box time had run out. They had extended it for 3 month's after that, and then it was-as far as I know, it is nonexistent now.
Senator COOPER. May I ask this question: Would you state now to this Commission the idea of printing this ad was conceived by you and Larry Jones--- what is the other's name?
Mr. Weissman.
Larrie Schmidt.
Senator COOPER. Alone, and there was no stimulation from any out. side group or organization. Do you state that under oath?
Mr. Weissman.
There was Stimulation.
Senator COPPER. From Whom?
Mr. Weissman.
I assume from the Birch Society. In other words, I think the idea for the ad, for the something to do on the occasion of President Kennedy's visit--I think the idea for the something to do came from the Birch Society--- whether Mr. Joe Grinnan or someone else, I don't know.
Senator COOPER. Was it communicated as an idea to you?
Mr. Weissman.
Larrie communicated the idea to me, said what do you think. I said, why not?
Senator COOPER. Which one of this group did the idea come to?
Mr. Weissman.
I don't know.
Senator COOPER. It didn't come to you?
Mr. Weissman.
No; it didn't come to me personally originally, no.
Mr. Dulles.
What is the basis of your evidence of saying this was the Birch Society? How did you know that? Where did you get that?
Mr. Weissman.
Well, it came to a point where everything we were doing we had to go talk to Joe big brother. And that is just the way it worked out.
Mr. Jenner.
This is Joe Grinnan?
Mr. Weissman.
Yes. They were getting a grip on us, and Bill and I felt that we had to bust this grip somehow.
Mr. Dulles.
Was he prominent in the Birch Society?
Mr. Weissman.
Yes; he was known.
Mr. Dulles.
Joe Grinnan?
Mr. Weissman.
Yes; he was known as a coordinator.
Representative Ford.
This one question that was inserted at the insistence of one of the contributors, which reads as follows: "Why has the foreign policy of the United States degenerated to the point the C.I.A. is arranging coups and having staunch anti-Communist allies of the U.S. bloodily exterminated"---to what does that refer? Do you have any specific information?
Mr. Weissman.
I know it specifically refers to the Vietnam thing, with the overthrow of Diem, and the subsequent murder of the Diem people.
Representative Ford.
Was that said to you at the time?
Mr. Weissman.
This was not said to me at the time. But I had mentioned it various times, and this was definitely, as far as I am concerned--this was definitely the reason for placing that. As a matter of fact, this had occurred not too long after that, I believe.
Mr. Dulles.
Who was it that insisted on the insertion of that?
Mr. Weissman.
Well, Joe Grinnan handed me this piece of paper. It was written on a piece of scrap paper. I could hardly decipher it, myself. And he said, "This has to be in. Go back and have them change the ad."
So I had to run back to the Morning News, with this other insertion. This is just the way it happened.
(At this point, Senator Cooper withdrew from the hearing room.)
Representative Ford.
I understand that you made a downpayment on the ad.
Mr. Weissman.
That is right.
Representative Ford.
And then went back and paid the rest in full?
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