</s>APPROVED FOR RELEASE 2025 UNDER EXECUTIVE ORDER 14176 20 Feb.69 Rf.48 48 SITUATION INFORMATION REPORT The House Committee on Unamerican Activities (HCUA) has been renamed the House Internal Security Committee (HICUA) after Congressional debate which saw a fight by two forces to defeat the move. One group fought a fight for two forces in after Congressional Debate which saw the abolish the Committee subcommittee. Final approval of the change in name of Judiciary entirely and the other sought to transfer abolish the Committee subcommittee: Final approval to the change of the name in a Judiciary a vote of 305 to 78 after opponents had failed to block consider- tion by an early vote of 162 of 123. This was the best showing by opponents of the Committee in nearly twenty years of attempts to abolish it. The smallest of all Congressional Committees, it was first created in 1934 as a special committee to investigate the rise of "Hitlerism" in Germany. It became a permanent House Committees in 1945 and shifted its attention to ferreting out Committees or suspected Communists. Its new chairman, Richard, ICHORD, (D-Mo.) vowed last fall to improve the committee's image. Last month, in a first step, four moderate-to-liberal Democrats were named to the nine-member committee. Mr. ICHORD assured the House this week that the Committee had adopted new rules that would more fully protect the rights of witnesses. Under a revised mandate, the Committee is still author- ized to investigate an extent, character, objectives, and activi- tied to groups seeking to establish a totalitarian dictatorship ties of groups seeking the extent, or to overthrow or alter or assist in the over- within the U.S. or to overthrow or alter by assist in over- throw or alteration of the Government or force, violence, treatory, espionage, sabotage, insurrection or any unlawful means. It is also authorized to investigate groups or individuals who incite or employ or act of force,violence, terrorism or any unlawful means to obstruct or oppose the lawful authority or the Government of the U ., in the U .. S. or execution of any law or policy affecting the security of the US. S ., "I 1

Summary:  
The document contains information about the trial of James Earl Ray for the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., including a postponement of the trial and defense arguments regarding witness testimony. It notes that Mrs. Corretta King, widow of MLK, was scheduled to preach at Paul's Cathedral in London on April 4. A campaign by Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy to organize poor whites and Black individuals into unions began on April 1, the anniversary of MLK’s assassination. The text also references a trial postponement due to witness testimony concerns and mentions the National Party’s planned shadow inauguration for Dick Gregory on March 4.  

Key People:  
- James Earl Ray (accused killer of MLK)  
- Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy (leader of SCLC, organized campaign against poverty)  
- Mrs. Corretta King (widow of MLK, preacher at Paul’s Cathedral)  
- Dick Gregory (planned Shadow President by New Party)  
- Judge Percy Foreman (presided over Ray’s trial)  

Key Locations:  
- Memphis, Tennessee (location of MLK’s assassination and Ray’s trial)  
- London, England (Paul’s Cathedral, where Mrs. King was to preach)  
- Washington, D.C., Detroit, Philadelphia, and other cities (sites of protests and political events)  

Key Events:  
- Postponement of James Earl Ray’s trial for MLK’s assassination due to witness testimony issues  
- Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy’s campaign to organize poor whites and Black individuals into unions starting April 1  
- Mrs. Corretta King’s scheduled preaching at Paul’s Cathedral on April 4  
- New Party’s planned shadow inauguration of Dick Gregory on March 4  

Key Organizations:  
- Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)  
- Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)  
- New Party (planned Shadow Presidency for Dick Gregory)  
- Communist Party of Canada (held 20th Convention in Toronto)

MLK Declassified Files

00018106_situation_information_rep.pdf

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