Mr. Hubert. Is it your thought now that the newsmen who were not local, who were not known to you and who did not have individual identification cards should have not been admitted or spoken to unless they had obtained clearance?
Captain King. I don’t think it would have been possible from a practical point of view—I don’t think it could have been done.
Mr. Hubert. Would you tell us why?
Captain King. “Why” has to include the atmosphere that existed over there, the tremendous pressures that existed, the fact that telephones were ringing constantly, that there were droves of people in there; it would also have to include the fact that the method by which you positively identify someone—it doesn’t mean—it’s not easy. If someone comes into us with a letter from the New York Times on their letterhead stating that this man is an employee of the New York Times, “Will you please furnish him with identification?”, we haven’t any way of knowing that actually this letter did come from the New York Times and that it was not on a forged or stolen letterhead.
Mr. Hubert. Normally you would not issue a card to such an individual without a checkout, as it were?
Captain King. That’s true.
Mr. Hubert. And your thought was that checkouts were just simply impossible?
Captain King. They were.
Mr. Hubert. Was any attempt made to set up a system whereby only positively identified news people would be admitted to the areas near Oswald?
Captain King. I’m not sure I understand your question, sir.