Federal Bureau of Investigation. "Transcript of Conversation with Stanley D. Levison."
April 8, 1967.
Date Issued: April 8, 1967
Date Declassified: [1983?]
Length: 4 pages
NOT Sanitized
 FULL TEXT
Time Initial IC
OG Activity Recorded
4:34 PM IC Black 7868-1-
King to STANLEY LEVISON;
Let's talk about the weakness of the speech. There were
a lot of reporters who picked out things I said and also
was whitewashing HANOI. Well It is hard to believe what we
are doing and I really feel that someone of influence
has to say that the United States is wrong, and everybody is
afraid to say it.
LEVISON: Now MARTIN I don't agree with that, WALTER LIPMAN
and John EMMITT HUGHES has said what you have said.
KING: But the difference is they don't get as much response
as I would.
Levison They are not Movement Leaders that is the difference
KING; the thing is I am to stay in my place and I am a
Negro leader and I should not stray from a position of
Moderation. I Can't do that.
Levison: I am troubled in this speech of yours because I
thought you were trying to bring together too many complex ideas
that need more dealing with, and I think it gives an unbalanced
impression. So I cite WALTER LIPMAN because he has
said the same thing but piece by piece. In your speech you
covered from a Viet Nam Pesant to Hanoi and you seemed to cover
too much ground. The speech was not so balanced.
To me this speech did not tipify your expression on this
subject. I do not think it was a good expression of you
but apparently you think it was.
KING; Well I was probably Politically unwise but will not
agree that I was Morally Unwise? I figure I was Politically
Unwise but Morally Wise. I think I have a role to play
which may be unpopular. I would say that I may not have been
Conscious enough that may be. I say no matter what I would have
said PATTERSON would have written this kind of editoral
(Note Much Static and King is very difficult to hear almost
Inaudable)
KING I don't know if careful thinking would have caused me
to revise the speech. They discuss one point (Inaudable)
LEVISON: I dont think that would be much of a point had it
not been picked up by that nut from the Jewish War Veterans
and then he joined it by saying that the whole speech could
have been written in HANOI. But that does not trouble me.
I feel that the whole speech was not a typical analysis that
you would make.
KING Well I outlined the speech but I did not write it out
and I probably would have not made that statement but..
I read the notes closely. But I spent a whole afternoon
thinking about this speech and I thought I had to say
something, I felt that it was time to tell the nation why
HANOI isn't quick to leap at the so called proposals of this
country.
LEVISON: I say that it is a speech for people
who are educated but some of the things that you say that
new and starteling are hard to accept. You launched
into an attack on impearlism itself which is an attack on
the system and not only the war. Now many persons are going
to agree with you but these are persons more intelligent than
the average person and you have to get to the average person.
King Well let's take KENNEDY: You have about 30 Senators that
are Dovish about our involvement but none have come out
like I did. What I did was go beyond the point that anyone
had done who is of influence. I have just become so disgusted
with the way people of America are being brainwashed. And
now see how Hitler could do what he did in Europe. I am not
saying we are acting as hitler but we are being brainwashed,
by the Administration and they are determined to justify what
they are doing. The washington Post got on me for saying
that we are on the road for invasion and just yesterday
GENKI said that they would probably invade HANOI to
stop these raids by the North Vietnamese.
LEVISON; Let me make a point about the profits: This is the
way you are speaking today but in those days they spoke in
a small country and reached a small segment of the peoples
but today you reach a greater group and there are a number
of persons who are Anti you and distort what you say.
So the forces that control the press and TV and they don't like
what you say they can distort what you say. So it would
not be as if you spoke in those days speaking to one small
city... I am afraid that you will become identified as a
leader of a fringe movement when you are much more. But if
mistakes are made you can be cast in the light of someone
that should be part of a fringe movement.
KING; That's the only thing that I dislike about what the
press did. The Washington Post and even the NY times.
I feel that they can do damage by pushing me over to a particular
extremist point of view to the left.
LEVISON; That's right they would say you don't have good judg-
ement.
KING: Yes they would never say I am immoral
but say the other.
LEVISON; yes that you are not exercising good judgment that
you are a fine man but are being mislead.
LEVISON; I wandered why you asked HAL LOWENSTEIN to prepare
the speech for next Saturday.
KING: No reason.
LEVISON: I don't know what side he will approach this subject
from but I think you should have this subject more under
control than you do. I feel it should be done with care in
expressing your point of view well. then I would like to
run it as a full paid ad in the NY Sunday times. So it will
explain your judgment and offset the editorial attacks
if any.
KING: I think that is an excellent Idea.
LEVISON: I will undertake to do this.
KING: No to pay for it.
LEVISON; I think it will pay for itself but if not will
see that it is paid for.
KING I think that would be very good.
LEVISON I suggest it not be in the News Section but in the
News of the Week section.
Now during the week if AL SOWENSTEIN makes the first draft
then I can look at it and give it to HARRY (WATEL) to see it
then we can agree.
KING: Well I have to go to California and I will be speaking
at Stanford Friday in California so I will be there until the
ralley. I set aside Tuesday to look at it in Atlanta
I don't think that LOWENSTEIN.
LEVISON; Maybe HARRY and I could start working on this and
Maybe a draft could be sent on to you in Atlanta by Monday.
Now what to do about LOWENSTEIN.
King: I could tell him that I decided to do it myself.
LEVISON; O.K. I am seeing Harry tomorrow. I don't mind doing
this as long as we are pointing towards an ad in the Times
because this speech was becoming you stand on Peace and I
thought it needed more expansion.
I would like seen added to this that editorial that you
mentioned by SEEGENTHALER of the Nashville
Tennesian do you have a copy of it.
KING: Andy does. I'm going to Chicago tonight but I will
be back in Atlanta by Monday.
LEVISON: I'm glad we had this discussion it brought out this
idea of the Ad in the NY Times.
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