Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
16609706
label
L - General
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
16609706
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
L - General
citationUrl
collections
President's Secretary's File (Franklin D. Roosevelt Administration)
Confidential Files
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
16609706
levelOfDescription
fileUnit
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
eb84d0da1b222e9f
ocrText
PSF : CF : L - Gen.
PSF, PSF,CF CF : L
C.F'
1095
1-24-73
Fms
5/15/42
OK
May 13, 1942.
FPR.
orig fraunded is
on 5/15/42
The President,
The White House.
My dear Mr. Presidents
Proceeding under Public No. 135, 77th Congress, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation has investigated charges of sub-
x1095
versive affiliation or unlawful advocacy made against Mr. Murry W.
Latimer, Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board, and has trans-
mitted its report to the Atterney General. Since Mr. Latimer is
executive head of the employing agency, the Attorney General has re-
ferred the report to the Interdepartmental Committee with the sug-
X
gestion that the Committee review the same and submit its recommen-
dations to you.
The Interdepartmental Committee has reviewed the report and
finds no evidence of subversive affiliation or unlawful advocacy. The
report indicates clearly that the charges are not substantiated. The
Committee therefore recommends that no further action be taken, that
Mr. Latimer be informed, and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation
be advised accordingly.
Respectfully,
Edwin D. Dickinson,
X
x10
Executive Secretary.
& B.7 Justice
May 13, 1942.
The President,
The White House.
My dear Mr. President:
Proceeding under Public No. 135, 77th Congress, the
Federal Bureau of Investigation has investigated charges of sub-
versive affiliation or unlawful advocacy made against Mr. Murry W.
Latimer, Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board, and has trans-
mitted its report to the Attorney General. Since Mr. Latimer is
executive head of the employing agency, the Attorney General has re-
ferred the report to the Interdepartmental Committee with the sug-
gestion that the Committee review the same and submit its recommen-
dations to you.
The Interdepartmental Committee has reviewed the report and
finds no evidence of subversive affiliation or unlawful advocacy. The
report indicates clearly that the charges are not substantiated. The
Committee therefore recommends that no further action be taken, that
Mr. Latimer be informed, and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation
be advised accordingly.
Respectfully,
Edwin D. Dickinson,
Executive Secretary.
JOHN EDGAR HOOVER
DIRECTOR
Federal Bureau of Investigation
OFFICE OF D THE $
United States Department of Justice
Washington, D. C.
MAY 8 - 1942
MAY 7 1942
APTORNEY GENER
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
MEMORANDUM FOR MR. UGO CARUSI
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL
Please be advised that an investigation was conducted
under Public Law No. 135, 77th Congress, concerning Mr. Murray
W. Latimer, Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board. Mr.
Latimer's name appeared on the active indices of the American
Peace Mobilization.
Inasmuch as Mr. Latimer is employed as Chairman of
the Railroad Retirement Board, I am furnishing you a copy of
the report of Special Agent Oscar J. Keep dated April 1, 1942
at Washington, D. C., which reflects the results of the inves-
tigation in this case.
As this Bureau is definitely charged with the
responsibility of reporting the results of all investigations
conducted under Public Law No. 135, 77th Congress, I would
appreciate your official comment as to the ultimate disposi-
tion of this case.
Very truly yours,
John John Edgar Hoover
L. Hower
X
Director
FORDEFENSE
BUY
UNITED
STATES
SAVINGS
BONDS
AND STAMPS
MURRAY W. LATIMER
RAILROAD RETIREMENT BOARD
Report of Special Agent Oscar
J. Keep dated April 1, 1942 at
Washington, D. C.
DETAILS:
AT WASHINGTON, D. C.
I. PERSONAL HISTORY
A.
The personnel file on MURRAY WEBB LATIMER in the Personnel Office
of the Railroad Retirement Board reflects that he is forty-one years of age,
having been born in Clinton, Mississippi, on January 6, 1901. Mr. LATIMER
graduated from Mississippi College with a B.A. degree in 1919 and received
a degree of M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1924. Mr. LATIMER also did
three years of graduate work in Economics at Harvard and Columbia Universi-
ties. He is married, his wife's maiden name being EDITH SONN. Mr. LATIMER
is a legal resident of New York County, New York. He is an American citizen.
B.
Mr. LATIMER'S employment record as set out in his personnel file
is as follows:
Employed at the Bank of Clinton, Clinton, Mississippi, Planter's
Bank, Shaw, Mississippi, and Hanover National Bank, New York City, from 1919
to 1922, Section Supervisor, Bureau of Business Research, Harvard University,
Cambridge, Massachusetts, from 1923 to 1925. Instructor in Finance, Graduate
School of Business Administration, Harvard University, from 1924 to 1925.
Chief Statistician, Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc., New York City, from
January, 1926, to July, 1934. On leave of absence from Industrial Relations
Counselors, Inc., during 1933 and 1934, when was employed as member of the
staff of the Committee on Government Statistics and Information Services.
Special Agent of the Bureau of Labor Statistics of the United States Depart-
ment of Labor and, from December, 1933, to July, 1934, was Consultant to
the Federal Coordinator of Transportation in Charge of Pension Investigations.
Also a member of the Advisory Committee to the Secretary of Labor after July,
1933. As a member of the staff of Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc., was
Consultant on Pensions, Equities, and related matters for a number of indus-
trial corporations and acted as Counsel for the Committee on Pensions and Un-
employment Insurance of the New York Building Congress. Mr. LATIMER was ap-
pointed Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board on July 21, 1934, for a two
year term by the President, the appointment being confirmed by the Senate.
Following a holding of the original Railroad Retirement Act unconstitutional
and the passage of the Railroad Retirement Act of 1935 by the Congress, Mr.
LATIMER was appointed Chairman of the Railroad Retirement Board by the Presi-
dent on October 30, 1935, the appointment to be effective from August 29,
1935, for a term of five years. The appointment was submitted to Congress
on January 6, 1936, and was confirmed by the Congress on February 11, 1936.
In this position Mr. LATIMER receives a salary of $10,000 per annum.
-2-
II. BASIS FOR INVESTIGATION
From a highly confidential source of information, hereinafter desig-
nated as T-1, it was reported that Mr. LATIMER'S name appeared in the active
indices of the American Peace Mobilization, known since the German invasion
of Russia during the summer of 1941 as the American Peoples Mobilization.
III. RESULTS OF INVESTIGATION
Confidential source of information T-1 further reported that the
name of Mrs. MURRAY WEBB LATIMER also appeared in the active indices of the
American Peace Mobilization.
Another highly confidential source of information, hereinafter desig-
nited as T-2, reported that Mrs. LATIMER'S name likewise appeared in the active
indices of the Washington Committee for Democratic Action.
The Special Committee Investigating Un-American Activities, House of
Representatives, Honorable MARTIN DIES, Chairman, was contacted for any informa-
tion in their files with regard to Mr. LATIMER. The Committee had no information
with regard to Mr. LATIMER'S membership in the American Peace Mobilization. As
a matter of possible interest, however, it should benoted that according to the
Committee's files, Mr. LATIMER was a sponsor of the Washington Friends of Spanish
Democracy as shown by the letterhead of that organization on June 30, 1938.
The Dies Committee's files further indicated that Mrs. EDITH LATIMER, wife of
MURRAY WEBB LATIMER, was a member of the Washington Committee for Democratic
Action, and a sponsor of the National Women's Unemployment Conference of the
Daughters of the American Depression.
Another confidential informant, hereinafter designated as T-3, who
maintains a large file of confidential information with regard to Federal em-
ployees, reported that, from information appearing in his file, Mr. LATTMER
was a sponsor of the Friends of Spanish Democracy and also a sponsor of the
Modern Forum of the American League for Peace and Democracy. T-3 added that
Mr. LATIMER'S activities in the first mentioned organization were in 1938
whereas he participated in the last mentioned organization in 1939.
Confidential sources of information, hereinafter designated as T-4
and T-5, each of whom maintain large files of confidential information with
regard to residents of the District of Columbia, were contacted but it was
ascertained that no information pertinent to this investigation appeared in
their files with regard to Mr. LATIMER.
- 3 -
Likewise, another confidential source of information, hereinafter
designated as T-6, who maintains large files of information with regard to
residents of the District of Columbia, advised that no information pertinent
to the instant investigation appeared in his files with regard to Mr. LATIMER.
In the vicinity of Mr. LATIMER'S residence at 2911 Albemarle Street,
N. W., a neighbor, hereinafter designated as confidential source of informa-
tion T-7, said that, in his opinion, Mr. LATIMER was a Communist. T-7 admitted
that he knew Mr. LATIMER only slightly but said that he had seen mail addressed
to LATIMER from some organization which stated it desired LATIMER'S help in
regard to some sort of picketing. This informant also said that he had ob-
served mail addressed to Mr. LATIMER'S wife from the League of Women Shoppers.
T-7 said that both Mr. and Mrs. LATIMER had very little to do with their neigh-
bors and that although occasionally friends stopped by to see them they kept
pretty much to themselves. T-7 admitted that he had nothing further on which
to base his conclusion with regard to Mr. LATIMER'S Communism other than that
set out above.
Other neighbors, hereinafter designated as T-8 and T-9, stated that
they had had no contact with Mr. LATIMER and thus were in no position to fur-
nish any information with regard to him. Both T-8 and T-9 reported that so
far as they knew the LATIMERS were not friendly with anyone in the neighbor-
hood.
At the Railroad Retirement Board an associate of Mr. LATIMER, here-
inafter designated as T-10, said that Mr. LATIMER was the son of a college
professor and had all the impracticable ideas of a college professor for
social gains. This informant stated that while he did not believe LATIMER
was actually a member of the Communist Party and while LATIMER himself denied
any sympathy for the Communist movement, nevertheless LATIMER'S beliefs were
very largely identical with the Communist Party Line. It was the opinion of
T-10 that Mr. LATIMER could be correctly described as a "parlor pink". The
informant stated that LATIMER believed in State Socialism or Comminism. He
advised that so far as he knew Mr. LATIMER was active in no organizations.
He mentioned, however, that LATIMER'S friends and associates were people who
held substantially the same ideas as those held by LATIMER. The informant
stated that LATIMER was a very brilliant economist and statistician.
Another associate of Mr. LATIMER who formerly was employed at the
Railroad Retirement Board, hereinafter designated as T-11, stated that he
had found Mr. LATIMER to be a very brilliant research man but a person who
was very hard to know. T-11 said that Mr. LATIMER seldom carried on any
social conversation and seldom spoke concerning any subject for which rea-
son it was hard to know what he believed. This informant mentioned, however,
that he had heard that LATIMER was connected with some Spanish aid group.
Aside from that activity, he said, he knew of nothing else with which
LATIMER was connected and knew nothing to indicate any Communistic activity
on LATIMER'S part. The informant pointed out that he himself was Act close
-4-
enough personally to LATIMER to know his views except to know that he was a
New Dealer and very liberal.
A confidential source of information hereinafter designated as T-12,
who likewise has been associated with Mr. LATIMER at the Railroad Retirement
Board, said that he had known LATIMER very well since 1934. This informant
characterized Mr. LATIMER as an extreme liberal, although he added that there
had never been any indication that LATIMER was a Communist or sympathetic
toward Communism. T-12 said that it was his opinion, however, that LATIMER
might go beyond liberal thought in some ways in order to achieve an end
which he considered desirable for the underprivileged. In other words, the
informant said, Mr. LATIMER believed that the end justified the means when
it resulted in the uplift of the lower levels of society. T-12 continued
that he himself was a liberal and had been considered liberal in viewpoint
all of his life, but said that LATIMER went much further in that direction
than he himself did.
T-12 advised that he could furnish no information with regard to
any organizations with which Mr. LATIMER might be active. He recalled that
some time before there had been some newspaper comment with regard to an
organization in which Mr. LATIMER was alleged to be active, but said that
he could not recall the details of that comment or the name of the organization
involved.
This informant mentioned that he also knew Mrs. LATIMER and knew
that she had been active in various organizations, although he could not
recall the names of any of them. He said that Mrs. LATIMER was a Jewess,
and that as pure speculation he believed she was probably interested and
active in refugee relief and Jewish welfare groups, although he could not
be sure.
Informant T-12 concluded by stating that he believed LATIMER
supported the principles of the American form of government, although he
was ultra-liberal and must be described as an extreme liberal.
A confidential source of information hereinafter designated as T-13,
who has a wide acquaintance among Communists in the District of Columbia,
advised that informant had no information whatever with regard to Mr. LATIMER.
A confidential source of information hereinafter designated as
informant T-14, who holds a highly responsible position in the Federal
Government, upon interview advised that he has been acquainted with Mr.
LATIMER for a number of years. The informant advised that Mr. LATIMER
prepared most of the statute relating to old age pensions now included in
the Social Security Act, and that LATIMER was also instrumental in drafting
the Railroad Retirement Act and similar social legislation. Informant stated
- 5 -
LATIMER has been a statistician with considerable experience, and that his
employment prior to coming to Washington was with an organization financed
by the Rockefeller Foundation, and that LATIMER made extensive studies of
the retirement plans used by the Standard 011 Company and by various railroad
companies. Informant stated that LATIMER has a conservative background as
the son of a Southern college professor; however, informant stated that he
has observed LATIMER has had contacts in Washington, D. C. with persons whom
the informant described as extremely liberal. Informant stated that he has
never heard LATIMER make any statement which would indicate to him that
LATIMER advocates the overthrow of the Federal Government, and he said that
LATIMER has confined his liberal ideas to a large extent to fiscal matters.
As an illustration of this point, the informant stated that at one time
LATIMER advocated paying old age pensions to all persons in the United States
of a designated age, regardless of their need for such compensation. Informant
stated that he has no information regarding the possible membership of
LATIMER in any organization; however, that he is aware that Mrs. LATIMER
is considered to be more liberal than her husband in her economic viewpoint,
and the informant stated he thought she has been connected with organizations
in Washington which are considered more "to the left" than organizations
which might be joined by her husband. Informant stated that he regards
LATIMER as a loyal American citizen.
A confidential informant hereinafter designated as informant T-15,
who holds a highly responsible position in the field of transportation in
the Federal Government, upon interview advised that he had been acquainted
with MURRAY LATIMER for a number of years. Informant stated that he has no
information regarding any organizations to which LATIMER may belong; however,
he stated that he has had considerable contact with LATIMER and regards him
as a loyal American citizen and as not having associated with any un-American
organizations.
A confidential source of information hereafter designated as
informant T-16, who holds a highly responsible position in the Federal
Government, upon interview advised that he has been associated with LATIMER
since the latter came to Washington approximately eight years ago. This
informant stated that LATIMER has been regarded as extremely liberal in
matters of fiscal policy; however, informant stated that he has never noticed
any activity on the part of LATIMER which would indicate that he carries his
liberal views into political matters. Informant stated that he has no informa-
tion regarding LATIMER's possible membership in any organization; however, he
stated that LATIMER is not the "joiner type" and he considers LATIMER as a
loyal American citizen.
A confidential informant hereinafter designated as informant T-17,
who is a former Government official and who formerly held a high Government
position, upon interview advised that he was connected with the President's
Committee on Economic Security, to which MURRAY LATIMER was a Technical
Assistant. The informant stated that he is not personally acquainted with
- 6 -
LATIMER, but that no information has come to his attention regarding the
activities of LATIMER which would indicate to the informant that LATIMER
is not a loyal American citizen.
IV. INTERVIEW WITH EMPLOYEE
On March 13, 1942, Mr. LATIMER appeared at the Washington Field
Office, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and was interviewed with
regard to his activities. He furnished the following question and answer
statement under oath.
- 7 -
Washington, D. C.
March 13, 1942
Statement of MURRAY WEBB LATIMER made in the presence of
Special Agent R. F. RYAN and Stenographer MARTHA CARTER,
Federal Bureau of Investigation. Questions by Mr. RYAN.
Q. Mr. LATIMER, the Federal Bureau of Investigation was empowered by
the 77th Congress of the United States under Public Law 135, to in-
vestigate the employees of the Federal Government who are alleged
members of subversive organizations or who advocate the overthrow
of the Federal Government and make a report to Congress. The pur-
pose of this interview is to allow you an opportunity to answer ques-
tions concerning information which has been received by the Federal
Bureau of Investigation about alleged activities on your part. The
questions I am about to ask you may be answered if you BO desire and
you will be given an opportunity to make any statement of your own
which you feel will fairly present your side of the question. A copy
of a report of the investigation, incorporating your statement, will
be furnished to the agency which employs you. Do you have any ob-
jection to making this statement under oath?
A. None whatever.
Q, Will you raise your right hand please? Do you solemnly swear to
tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help
you God?
A. I do. May I ask one question? Since I am the head of the agency in
which I am employed, I presume I will be furnished with a copy of my
own investigation?
Q. A copy goes to your agency. I am not familiar with the name of the
person to whom it is directed.
A. Well, I have seen all of the investigations made in the agency of which
I am head thus far.
Q. Will you state your full name, please?
A. MURRAY WEBB LATIMER.
- 8-
Q. Where do you live?
A. 2911 Albemarle Street, N. W. My legal residence is in New York City.
Q. What 1 your position with the Railroad Retirement Board?
A. I am Chairman.
c. Mr. LATIMER, are you now or have you ever been a member of any organi-
sation which advocates the overthrow of the Federal Government?
A. I have not.
Q. Are you now or have you ever been a member of any organization which
advocates disloyalty to the Federal Government?
A. I am not,
Q. Mr. LATIMER, are you now or have you ever been a member of the American
Peace Mobilization, which is presently known as the American Peoples
Mobilization?
A. I have not been a member or contributed to it directly or indirectly or
have I any knowledge of it.
Q. Mr. LAT IMER, are you now or have you ever been a member of the Wash-
ington Committee for Democratic Action?
A. I have not and I have no knowledge of that organization beyond seeing
its name in the papers. I can list in about five minutes all the
organizations with which I am now or have ever been connected if you
want them-membership or otherwise.
Q. Mr. LATIMER, at this time you may make any statement of your own which
you think is pertinent to this inquiry if you so desire. It is not re-
quired that you list the names of the organizations to which you belong
but if you care to do that you may have that privilege.
A. Since I have never belonged to very many organizations, it is fairly
short order, although I believe, with the exception of the Downtown
Athletic Club of New York, that all the organizations of which I am now
a member or of which I have ever been a member, are listed in my bio-
graphy in "Who's Who in America." As a matter of record, it is perhaps
of no good importance. I wish to state that I am and always have been
a loyal citizen of the United States; that I have never been a member of
any organization which has advocated the overthrow of the United States
Government by force or violence or by any other means, and I have not
- 9 -
been connected with any organization directly or indirectly which has
advocated the overthrow of the United States Government, or I have not
in any way sympathized with any such organization which has those aims.
I don't think there is much more that I need add.
Q. Allright, thank you very much. Mr. LATIMER, do you care to have the
opportunity of returning and reading a typewritten transcriptof this
interview?
A. Since I have read a number of interviews conducted by you and have
found them substantially accurate, judging from the fact that apparently
no corrections have been necessary, I don't think that I need take the
time to come down to read the record.
- CLOSED -
10