Mr. Dulles. Should you do field investigations as contrasted with the FBI—the FBI have a large number of people in a large number of cities throughout the United States. You do not have that?
Mr. Rowley. No; but on the basis of the criteria we discussed earlier, the FBI would give us the information, and if in our evaluation we determined that it should be referred to the field for investigation, particularly in the case of individuals, we would conduct our investigation, to determine whether this individual is a high risk to the President.
Now, where it comes to the group, this is something for the FBI to do, because it ties in with their responsibility for internal security.
Now, if there is a close connection between the two, then we would have to have a formal agreement. But because of our responsibility, and the fact that this is part of the work that we have to undertake, then we would conduct our own investigation, because we know what we are looking for.
Mr. Dulles. If the name of Lee Harvey Oswald had been submitted to you by the FBI, what would you, in the normal course, have done?
Would you have referred that back to them for investigation, or would you have carried on an independent investigation?
I am talking now if that name had been referred to you when you knew you were going to go to Dallas.
Mr. Rowley. If we knew we were going to go to Dallas and we had this present criteria, then we would investigate him.
Mr. Dulles. You would carry on the investigation?
Mr. Rowley. Yes, sir.