Speech #820244265

So that there may be no misunderstanding of my view. I want it clearly understood that I even think it was shabby procedure for the State Department to make the announcement it made in the Lattimore case before checking into the matter with Lattimore himself. If it is true. as the newspapers report. that the information upon which the State Department relied in sending its instructions to the customs officers and immigration officials was false information. then a double injustice has been done to Lattimore. In my opinion. it was an injustice not to have communicated with him in the first instance to check on whether or not he denied any such allegation. and in the second place. it certainly was an injustice to publish such accusations without making certain that they were true. If anyone does not understand the application of the principle I am fighting for on this issue. let him look at the most recent episode in the Lattimore case. Oh. yes. ifand I underline the word "if"-the announcement made the other day by McDermott. the State Department press relations officer. is true. the Department disclosed to the public that it had issued instructions to customs and immigration officers of our country to be on the lookout for Lattimore. But if there is no basis in fact for the accusations that were made. on the foundatijn of which the State Department took the action it did. then no doubt the officials of the Government responsible for such arbitrary action ought to be disciplinedin whatever way it is possible to discipline. under existing Government rules and regulations. But what I consider very important is that we learn a lesson from this episode.