--ript* Mei/neve II Edward J. Epstein: Assassin or Super-Jinx?

by David Miller Society's role In the anti-JFK ton's book, an odd happening for a critics, In three short years Epstein When George de Mohrenschildt. newspaper ads, and General Edwin supposed WC "critic". bad gone from obscure grad-student, Lee H. Oswald's good buddy, died in Walker's role in the "Wanted for It took Mark Lana two years to with no writing at all to his credit, to a the spring of 1977, he was set up for Treason" posters, it stems obvious locate a publisher for Rush to Judg- published author who was now getting the blast by Edward Jay Epstein, an that nembiazis were planning to kill ment, yet as eon as he found one, into the Establishment's own media. alleged free-lance journalist actually JFK, as numerous Walker disciples Viking Press immediately set out to Lane and Garrison are lucky if they engaged In murder and conspiracy by from Munich found their way to print Epstein's slim volume. Master's get a yearly letter in the New York the U.S. Intelligence agencies. Dallas in 1962-'63, later theses in Government are seldom ac- Times, but Edward Jay Epstein has Epstein also "Interviewed" FBI demonstrating against Adlai Steven• cepted for publication by major been much "luckier", honcho William C. Sullivan and son before placing anti-JFK ads (paid publishers, and master's theses In Later that year Epstein began former CIA spy pilot Francis Gary for by the Birch Society) in Dallas Government arc seldom written on writing for the New Yorker, the Powers before those gentlemen perish- newspapers. Yet Epstein, like CIA topics such as the Warren Commis- magazine that—eupriset— has ed in '77. Powers had worked with operative Priscilla tvicadalan, continua sion. Epstein seemed to have employed Richard Rovere for many Oswald in the CIA's U-2 planning in to portray Oswald as a ''Marelst" and astonishing luck in getting his dubious years. In this capacity, Epstein Incur- Atsugl, Japan in l939. According to a lone assassin. thesis approved, then published; a red the wrath of the Left by claiming the 11/5/77 New York Deily News, a Epstein's absurdity psis-a.vis JFK "demonologist" might accuse him of that very few Black Panthers had been Nov. Z. 1961 memo from Acting CIA goes back to 1966, when the Cornell having contacts in the Govrnment. It killed by police—despite the recent Director General C.P. CabeII resulted grad student met Mark Lane when the doe appear that Inquest, a book with FBI COINTELPRO disclosures, Eps- in Secretary of State Dean Rusk ar- latter was on a lecture tour. Knowing very mad . Criticism of the Warren tein has never retracted his 1969.'70 ranging Powers' release from a Rus- that Lane's book Rush to Judgement Commission, was rushed into print as statements denying a systematic earn- sian prison in exchange for Soviet was to soon be published, Epstein an Establishment response to the paign to kill off Panthers. The 1966 masterspy Rudolf Abel. General rushed to publication inquest, a harsh probing of Lane. "critic" was now a top Establishment CabeII just happened to be the brother master's thesis in Government that Epstein's next book. Counterplot, defender, and he began writing for of the Mayor of Dallas when John F. Commentary, the magazine of the Kennedy was shot in Dallas in 1963. "nco-conservatives", i.e., old liberals William C. Sullivan in 1970 drafted paid off with CIA money to defend the surveillance program known as the the Right. "Huston Plan", opposed by FBI The May 31, 1974 New York Time Director I. Edgar Hoover; Hoover's Magazine reported on p. 67 that Eps- death in 1972 may have been caused tein was one of several American jour- by Sullivan's machinations in and out nalists visiting India on behalf of the of the Nixon White House. According United States Information Service. to an unpublished manuscript known The IJSIS is an official U.S. Govern- as the " Torbitt Document". William ment propaganda outlet, and Eps- C. Sullivan, as head of the FBI's Divt- tein's acceptance of money and travel lion V, was a key plotter in the JFK from them is an admission that the murder. Shortly before his "amide's- one-time "critic" is actually a govern- cal" shooting death, Sullivan was sub- ment agent posing as a journalist. poenaed by the House Assassinations Consequently, his new "book" on Committee, joining George de Oswald should be interpreted as Mohrensallet and Cellos Prio Sorso- another government-sponsored disin- nss in sudden deaths after being con- formation effort, designed to put tacted by the committee. down the "demonologists" and rein- No one is investigating Edward Jay force the "lone nut" theory. The Epstein's role In the murders of de A TtleviSiaa FhsL hick Ruby assassinates Oswald choice of an ultra-rightist publisher Mohrenschildt and Sullivan, even In front of 50 million viewers (Reader's Digest in 1939 printed though he was the only person to sae Charles Lindbergh's pro-Nazis views de Mohrenschildt extensively the 1• 11111MMI on race_ neinnui ato-Axis articles dur- weekend before the shooting. Instead, ing World War Br by Epstein fere-all- Epstein's new fasciclel book on the his true leanings as a right-wing agent Kennedy assassination, published by spreading disinformation on behalf of Reader's Digest, given extensive the people who killed JFK and other media coverage. threats to the Right. Interestingly, Epstein seems to come Epstein's book claims Lee Oswald up with CIA photographs that the was working for the Russian KGB, CIA never divulges to anyone else. even though he acted alone (7) In Esquire shooting JFK. Not coincidentally, Back in December, 1966 in an Reader's Digest several years ago article he printed a CIA photo of a heavy-set man claiming to be Oswald; published KGB, John Barron's at- in his new book Epstein shows John tempt to whitewash the deacredited CIA by attacking Soviet intelligence. Wayne sharing a meal with Marines in the Phillipines in the late 1950's, with EPateirt's latest book thus further whitewashes the CIA by placing CIA Lee Oswald or a look-alike standing in agent Oswald in a rival intelligence the background. agency. Just to keep people from Edward Jay Epstein himself may shouting "conspiracy-. though, Eps- have been working for military in- tein concludes that KGBer Oswald telligence in the late 1950's. Epstein somehow acted alone in Dallas. was born in 1935 and graduated from Of course, Epstein overlooks the college in 1957. In 1959 he suddenly fact that Oswald was greeted upon his joined the Army, an odd decision for a Edward J. Epstein: Kiss of Death? Cedes Prim Another dead JFK Wheless return from Russia by Spas T. Railan, college grad in peacetime—obviousty represenative of Travelers' Aid Socie- Epstein served in military intelligence about the time Lee Oswald was ty (which helped the CIA effect the was polished ley the Viking Press—the was an attack upon New Orleans "defecting" to Russia. What did he Vietnam "babylift" in 1975) and a company that was later to employ District Attorney Jim Garrison, with do between 1957 and 19597 What did man with ties to CIA front such the Jackie Kennedy—in the late summer such blatant lies that William Turner as he do between leaving the military and Asian•American Peoples' Anti- of '66. refuted the falsehoods In the Sept. 23, entering graduate school in 1965? No Communist League—for which Tom 1968 Ramparts. This second book, de- one seems to know: there are Charles Huston served before joins Inquest, a study of the Warren nouncing Garrison's tactics in the con- Shakespearean gaps in the life of Ed- the Nixon White House. Commission's methods in arriving at spiracy trial of Clay Shaw, accused the Epstein also overlooks the fact that their conclusions, had some criticism DA of using "McCarthyite" methods ward Jay Epstein. Epstein was 31 when he started his Oswald's Dallas friends such as de. of the Commission but generally to smear Shaw. Not coincidentally. Mohrenachildt were themselves CIA- praised the intent of the WC. believing the author of the Introduction to Eps- master's thesis, an advanced age for connected, and his close friend Gerald Ford and Allen Dulles and the tein's first book, Richard Rovere, even a profesional student fo the Michael Paint had a security clearance others to be honorable men. In the in- wrote the 1959 criticism of McCarthy, 1960'e. He became friendly with Mark Lane, then stabbed Lane in the back. while working for Bell Helicopter. In troduction, liberal author Richard Senator Joe McCarthy. Thus the cer- fact, the "Communist" Oswald was Rovere denounced the tified "liberal" defenders of the War- He became the official Establishment spokesman In regard to JFK, Fred close to some rather obvious Nazi "demonologists" who believed there ren Commission now smeared the WC Hampton, and other victims of the in- types: George de Mohrenschilt had had been a conspiracy to kill JFK; no critics with the epithets usually reserv- been accused of being a Nazi spy dur- one was mentioned by name, but ed for the Right: Lane and Garrison telligence agencies. After taking ing World War II, and his "White Rovere seemed to be referring to Mark were either Birch Society-type money from the USIS, he helped kill Russian" friends in Dallas were in- Lane. The word "demonologists" "demonologists" or "McCarthyite" William Sullivan and Francis Gary volved In organizations such as the came to be used quite often: Elmer zealots who were obviously not as Powers and George de Mohrenschildt, preventing those intelligence agents Wermacht-trained Vlarov Army. Bell Gertz in Moment of Manes, John sincere as their liberal adversaries. from revegiiine the true killers of JFK, Helicopter, Paine's employers, also Sparrow, John Kaplan, and other WC In May, 1969 Epstein further at- All in ail. Edward Jay Epstein is employed Nap General Walter Dorn- defenders used this word to denounce tacked Lane and Garrison in a New quite a journalist. I just wouldn't want berger. Lane, Jim Garrison and other WC York Time! Magi:Ziffe article attemp- to be interviewed by him. Considering the John Birch critics. The word was first used in Eps- ting to sound the requiem for the

H-P1 G Rc u S cL PrTh FRors'in .