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Office Memorandum — UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO: Mr. W. A. Branigan
DATE: December 14, 1951
FROM: Mr. W. E. Oglesby
SUBJECT: JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS [Jack Parsons], aka. ESPIONAGE — IS
PURPOSE:
To recommend that instant case be placed in a closed status.
DETAILS:
As you will recall, this investigation was based on information furnished by a representative of Hughes Aircraft Company, Culver City, California, who ascertained that subject, an employee of that corporation, had removed certain classified documents pertaining to jet-propulsion motors and rocket propellants from the files of that company without authorization on September 15, 1950. He subsequently turned these documents over to [Redacted] whose husband was employed by Hughes Aircraft Company, whi in turn reported the matter to that company. Subject had asked [Redacted] to prepare typewritten copies of these documents and, in a signed statement, readily admitted to agents of the Los Angeles Office that he had removed these documents without authority and planned to extract certain information from them as an aid in computing the cost for a proposed factory to be established in Israel for the manufacture of jet-propulsion motors.
He was preparing this cost estimate at the suggestion of Herbert T. Rosenfeld, President of the Southern California Chapter of the American Technion Society. This society, according to the October 21, 1949, issue of the B'Nai B'Rith Messenger, is composed of businessmen, technologists and scientists and is the American body designated by the Israeli Government and industry to provide United States technical know-how for the benefit of Israel. Investigation has disclosed that Parsons was interested in securing employment in Israel by reason of his background in pyrotechnics and propellants for jet propulsion.
Of the 13 items removed from the file by Parsons, 8 were found to be unclassified, one carried the security classification of restricted and 4 carried the security clasification of confidential. G-2 advised that the item classified as restricted and the unclassified items could be used as evidence in a trial, however, the items classified as confidential related to current research and development and, as such, G-2 advised that they should not be divulged to unauthorized persons. This information was presented to the Department in memorandum dated May 9, 1951, with a request that the Department advise whether prosecution in this case was warranted. The Department by memorandum dated May 17, 1951, advised the case was being referred to the U.S. Attorney at Los Angeles and requested that pertinent reports be submitted to him.
Assistant United States Attorney [Redacted], Los Angeles, California, advised that office that he declined prosecution due to lack of sufficient evidence of intent or reason to believe that the information obtained by subject was to be used to injure the United States or to the advantage of a foreign nation. [Redacted] directed that the evidence obtained during the investigation should be returned to its proper owners.
A review of the Bureau indices fails to reveal any new information concerning subject since the institution of this investigation.
RECOMMENDATION:
In view of the fact that the U.S> Attorney for the Southern District of California has declined prosecution, it is recommended this investigation be closed.
Pertinent information has been disseminated to Records Administrative Branch, State Department, CIA, OSI, ONI, and G-2.
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