HELMS AND FULBRIGHT INTERVIEWED

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP82R00025R000700110014-2
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: January 17, 2005
• Sequence Number: 14
• Publication Date: July 29, 1966
• Content Type: TRANS

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3333 CONNECTICUT AVENU9E, N.W., WASHINGTON, D. C., WOODLEY 6.0300
PUBLIC AFFAIRS STAFF
PROGRAM Newanight STATION WTOP -TV
July 29, 1966 6:o0 PM
Washington, D
13
HELMS AND FULBRIGHT INTERVIEWED
SAM DONALDSON: "The new Director of the Central
Intelligence Agency appeared before the Senate Foreign .
Relations Committee today at his own request, and apologized
for endorsing a newspaper slap at the Committee Chairman,
Senator J. William Fulbright.
"The St. Louis Globe Democrat had called Fulbright
'crafty' and said he had been properly rebuked by the Senate
in his fight to gain seats in the CIA watchdog committee
for Foreign Relations Committee members-.
"Two days ago, the same newspaper printed a letter
from CIA Chief Richard Helms, in which he declared he wanted
to let the editors know of his pleasure in reading the edit-
orial.
"Well, Helms' appearance on Capitol Hill followed
yesterday's explosion on the floor of the Senate by any
number of members indignantly protesting a CIA endorsement
of the attack on Fulbright. Even Senators who opposed the
Arkensas Democrat, rose to his defense. And Helms, before
the Committee, then in a brief statement to reporters, apol-
ogized."
HELMS: "I was just simply saying that it was a mistake
to sign this letter. I realize it was a mistake, which I reg-
ret. And I've apologized."
REPORTER: "Did you draft this letter, air?"
DONALDSON: "Senator Wayne Morse, a Committee member,
demanded that Helms resign in a statement before the committee
meeting, but the objective of the attack, Chairman Fulbright,
was willing to forgive."
FULBRIGHT: "(fading i,n)...by an assistant and was
submitted to him along with a number of other personal letters,
as distinguished from, you know, business letters -- you see,
he's been reoently appointed, and he.simply signed it, as hesaid,
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 Approved For Release 2005/03/24: CIA-RDP82R00025R000700110014-2
without focusing upon the full significance of it."
REPORTER: "Well, now that he has focused, did he
apologize to you?"
FULBRIGHT: "He did. Well, he called yesterday,
really, and apologized voluntarily. I didn't ask him for an
apology, and he did again this morning. And, of course, the
whole significance of this is not the editorial, which is a
rather common occurrence in all the newspapers criticial of
public officials, and certainly the Chairman of thg Senate
Foreign Relations Committee. But, the -- the feeling of un-
certainty about this type of thing happening in the CIA, I
think it is -- the circumstances, as described by Mr. Helms
will certainly go a very long way to, well, to excuse a mist-
ake. I mean, anybody can make a mistake, and I'm sure he s
going to be very careful not to make another one of a similar
nature,11
REPORTER: "Senator Morse called for his resignation.
Do you favor any more in that direction?"
FULBRIGHT: "I don't think I'd think it that dra$tic.
And I believe he will be very careful about these matters in
the future."
Committee members said they were
n
"M
N
y
a
:
DONALDSO
impressed with Helms' candid apology and discussion before the
Committee, and they thought some good may have come from the
Leader
rit
Maj
t
,
y
o
e
experience. But it was left to the Sena
Mike Mansfield, to have the final word on the affair, 'If
Senators had to resign every time they made a mistake 'said
ber
~"
a
Mansfield, 'the Senate wouldn!t.,h+ve a.:single mem
Approved For Release 2005/03/24: CIA-RDP82R00025R000700110014-2