OSWALD MEETING NEARLY CANCELLED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000600160081-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 18, 1999
• Sequence Number: 81
• Publication Date: February 19, 1964
• Content Type: NSPR

--sanitized - Approved For Releases Cl
NEW YORK TI1ii '
OSWALD METING
NEARLY V i" ! "i GED1.L'
E 8 1 9 1964
CPYRGHT
Guardian's $600 rental had been
confirmed by a letter and check
nn Jan. 14 after arrai cments
had been made over 1h(.,.
Town Hall confirmed
that its director, Qrr zond J.
Drake, associate dean of the
I.Y.U. Division of General Edu-
cation, wrote'in a letter on Jan.
Town Hall, Fearing a Mele
Insists on $25,000 Bond
CPYRGHT r. ri 'ryr i;iii ?
own Tfo'l ::cknowledgc
ycstorda? ; nought 1
cancel a .,no involi
ing Mrs. Marguerite Oswald o
the ground that her appearanc
"could he incendiary."
The hall, a part of New Yorl
University since 1958, allowc
the meeting to go on last nigh
only after The National Guarc
ian weekly, sponsor of the meet
ing, deposited $25,000 in cas:
to cover any damages to Tow,
Hall premises.
James Aronson, the weekly':
editor, called the episode "a dis
grace to the concept of fret
speech and free inquiry."
Town Hall spokesmen con.
tended that the sponsors a
first had, not told them that
Mrs. Oswald, the mother o;
President Kennedy's accused as.
sassin, was to appear.
The spokesmen said Town
Hall "would prefer not to have
further dealings with The Na.
tional Guardian."
Bonds in 3 Previous Cases
James V. Edwards, assistant
director of Town Hall, said
bonds had been required in at
least three previous cases.
A $25,000 bond, he said,
was required from the Student
Committee for Travel to Cuba,
whose meeting last Sept. 15
caused thousands of anti-Castro
demonstrators to mill around
Times Square. Phillip Abbott
Luce, that group's spokesman,
said this had been an insurance
policy.
Fifteen-huidred persons were
reported to have bought all
available tickets for last night's
meeting at prices from $1.60 to
`5. In addition to Mrs. Oswald,
speakers included former As
semblvman Mark Lane, whom
she leas named unpaid (1e-
"ease counsel for her son, Lee
I-I. Oswa.ld.
Town Hall occupies a 42-year-
'old structure at 123 West, 43rd
Street. Its slogan, "You Shall '
Know the Truth and the Truth
Shall Make You Free," appears,
on the front of the building..
I been Mr. Lane would k, butt
that an article in The:~c.~~Yorkl
Journal-American had then an
p
her
..I
..1. c. _,-. ." ,.
-_--------
innocence.
d
A
ltere
Terms Axe Held
"The terms of the proposed,
lease have been materially al
tered," Mr. Drake wrote. life
continued: r
"In our opinion Mrs. Oswald'si
appearance could he incendiary.;
Town Hall does not choose to
be a party to the airing of a,
case that Is presently being.
studied by the Presidential
commission.
"In view of the importance of
the Investigation now in prog.
Mrs. Oswald on a public plat-
form would serve any useful
Mr. Drake wrote the weekly
CPYRGHT
Iuslsts on a Bond
Mr. Drake insisted on a bond.
'lie National Guardian, Mr.
rur.5on said, submitted' a one-
v $25,000 insurance policy on
gib. 12, but this was rejected.
After rejections from bonding
ompanies, Mr. Aronson . re-
orted, $25,000 In negotiable
1 )nrls and cashier's checks was
s ised from four persons he pre-
y reed to leq.ve unnamed, and
tie money was deposited on
onday in a bank against any
own Hall ' claims.
Queries to the ' Police Depa rt-
i ent, Town Hall and The Na-,
nal Guardian yesterday after-
I on brought disclaimers from,
u I quarters on knowledge of
I y threats to disturb the meet
David Haber, professor of law'
Rutgers . University was
I airman of the meeting. Other
eakers included Staughton
nd, professor of history at.
lman College, Atlanta, and
Relic Minnis, former research
' ?eetor of the Southern Re-
' nal Council's Voter Educa-
n Project, who 'had eollabo-
i
N
n a
ew Republic article
m a bond or refuse it ,to--r1 4c-
ether in the case of unpopular the Oswald case entitled
ieetings." , eeds of Doubt:'
Continued
Sanitized - Approved For Release : CIA-RDP75-00149R000600160081-3