July 21, 1964 - Invoking the power of the Federal government to end New York City’s race riots, President Johnson directed the FBI today to make a full investigation of the disorders. He pledged acting Mayor Paul Screvane all possible cooperation “in this time of agony.”
The President acted as New York Mayor Robert Wagner curtailed a European trip and flew home to deal with the crisis, as Screvane said Communist agitators had helped inflame the city’s Negro population — and as Harlem and the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn headed into the fourth night of violence.
The President moved into the tense racial situation in New York as he had done twice before in the turbulent South in recent weeks.
“Violence and lawlessness cannot, must not, and will not be tolerated,” Johnson said in the statement announcing that the FBI was moving in. “American citizens have a right to protection of life and limb — whether driving along a highway in Georgia, a road in Mississippi, or a street in New York City.”
The reference was pointed. On July 10, the President had sent J. Edgar Hoover, head of the FBI, personally to open a new regional FBI office in Jackson, Miss. That was just after three civil rights workers in nearby Philadelphia, Miss., had vanished, presumably to their deaths.
Presence of augmented FBI forces in that state since has acted as a restraining influence on white extremists.
Eleven days ago, Johnson directed the FBI to investigate the murder, on a Georgia highway, of Lieut. Col. Lemuel Penn, a Washington Negro educator and Army reserve officer.
An Administration spokesman made clear that the President’s action today was not a slap at Police Commissioner Michael Murphy or his men, but was an attempt to restore order in a very delicate situation through the prestige of the FBI.
Mayor Wagner also stressed his confidence in Murphy.
Earlier, at City Hall, Screvane had attributed the violence to three groups — agitation by Communists and other radical elements, “kids who have nothing to do and get great delight in throwing bottles or stones at police or anyone else,” and criminals taking advantage of turbulence.
Asked about reports that Communist officials had attended Harlem rallies and had contributed money to finance demonstrations, Screvane said there was “no question” but that Reds were involved.
“Some of the people at some of the meetings and rallies are known Communists,” he said. “I don’t know about the money part of it. We haven’t been able to pin it down yet. I assume this will be an angle of interest and concern to the FBI.”
He absolved the “rank-and-file” Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant resident of a role in the lawlessness. “They are as frightened as people living outside [of those areas],” Screvane said.
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