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Office Memorandum — UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO: Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation
DATE: January 18, 1951
FROM: James M. McInerney Assistant Attorney General, Criminal Division
SUBJECT: JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS [Jack Parsons], Wa. ESPIONAGE — IS
Reference is made to your memorandum of December 20, 1950, requesting an opinion as to whether or not the facts as developed constitute a violation of any Federal Statute.
It would appear that there is a violation of Section 793 and possibly Section 794 of Title 18, U.S. Code.
However, before a decision is rendered as to whether prosecution is warranted it is requested that you take the necessary steps to ascertain the following.
1. An expression of opinion from the appropriate source in the Department of the Army as to whether the documents involved "relate to the national defense".
2. Is there any objection on the part of the Department of the Army to having the documents in question introduced in evidence in the event of prosecution?
Reference is made to the report of Special Agent [Redacted], dated December 7, 1950, at Los Angeles, California, wherein on page 6 information appears pertaining to one Professor Theodore Von Karman. According to this information, Parsons had gone to [Redacted] at the suggestion of Von Karman. Your attention is invited to the report of Special Agent [Redacted], dated November 30, 1950, at Washington, D.C., in the case entitled [Redacted]. The Department would be interested in knowing whether the Von Karman in the Perl case is identical with the individual having the same name in instant case, and if so, whether the Bureau has any information indicating these two matters are at all related.
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