1973_02 The Daily Collegian February 1973

              TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 6. 1973
LXXV11 /71
EGIAN
CALIFORNIA      STATE      UNIVERSITY,      FRESNO
FBI asks reporter to inform;
'elimination' if he tells
By Royal Alvord
Staff Writer
For many years, federal security agencies jruch as Ihe Central Intelltvi.ee Agency, Federal
bureau of Investigation and Army
Intelligence have kept files not
only on Communists and subversives but on average citizens
as well.
Army Intelligence alone la
known to have accumulated the
personal histories of more than
20 million Americans, which
means in any group of 10 people,
.-nances are one of them has been
investigated by the Army.
F.ven so. It seems that the
Fresno area would be last on
such agencies' lists of priorities,
but nothing could be further from
the truth.
The Fresno FBI office currently employs a number of Informers at about $250 a month,
along with other "benefits.* They
are assigned to survellle local
political activists such as CSUF
campus groups of the U.S.-China
Friendship Association and Vietnam Veterans Against the War,
among others.
Potential informers are approached personally by FBI
agents after what seems to be an
extensive background Investigation.
In most cases the agents seek
out persons who are associated
with the political groups in question and who are privy to inside
information.
Last August, while working as
.. reporter for the Vlsalia Times -
Delta, I was approached by an
agent of the Fresno FBI and
asked to become an Informer.
AGENT   BECK
On the morning of August 16,
I was awakened by a knock on the
door. The man In the doorway
wore a suit and tit and was about
45 years old. His first words
were, •Good morning, RoyaL*
1 'd never seen him before.
He produced his badge and
credentials and identified himself
only as "Agent neck of the Fresno Federal Bureau of investigation."
Once inside, he took a seat on
the couch and said he was Interested In some friends and acquaintances of mine, mainly people connected with various
Fresno cultural and political
groups.
He began talking about people
I knew. He seemed to know as
much about them as I did. At one
point during the conversation, he
asked If I had heard from a former "girlfriend" who was traveling in the East. Ho knew where
she was, when she left Fresno,
and who she was with.
He knew about the marital
•problems* of two of my friends.
Of one of my closest friends,
Beck said he had "enough Information to write a book about
him.*
1 asked how he acquired such
personal information. He said the
FBI had "sources* at Fresno
State as well as In the community
and asked If 1 would become one
of them.
"We'll make It worth your while
financially/ he said. Later, he
told me that "worth your while"
meant $250 a month plus expenses
whenever I had to travel.
Beck told me I would not be
•squealing" on anyone, rather I
would only be "Informing" him of
their whereabouts and activities.
He assured me that precautions would be taken so that my
activities as an Informer would
be kept secret. Among those
mentioned were a post office box
and a special phone number - air
at the expense of the Fresno bureau.
Realizing I had the lead for a
good story. I told him I would
consider his offer. He Instructed
me to phone htm at the bureau
office In Fresno when I returned
Hay ward paper
funds suspended
President Nixon's attacks on
the liberal press and the Imprisonment of newsman William Farr
have revived the controversy
over who has the right to control
the press. Now the Issue is hitting closer to home on the college
campuses.
At California State University.
Hayward, a power struggle has
developed between the Associated
Student Council, the administration and the Dally Pioneer staff
over management of the paper.
The Student Council has refused to approve funds for publication of the Pioneer until a new
publications policy, which meets
the council's approval, is Instituted. Some Pioneer staff members consider the council's move
an attempt to gain control over
management of the paper.
Last spring the student government at Hayward approved funding for the Pioneer on the condition that a new publications code
acceptable to the student council
be established.^
Since 1968 the paper has operated under an Interim policy
which Pioneer editor T. G. F.
Whltson termed a "fairness doctrine," a policy of "keeping the
paper open to any new group, Individual or expressed Idea on
campus.*
The new code was written during the summer, submitted tothe
council for revision and sent to
CSUH President Ellis McCune's
office
McCune vetoed the code, saying
It was too explicit. He later met
with council representatives to
formulate  a new code that would
be acceptable to both the council
and the administration. The council will vote this week on whether
to approve the new code.
Lyle Edmlaon, publications
board chairman, Questioned the
council's right to decide on the
code. "They have the opportunity to review It and make suggestions,* he said, "but they la no
way can demand to approve It.*
According to Edmlson, the
council 'enjoys half of the membership of the publications board.
They do have an effective means
of providing input on what goes
Into the code,
•The Issue here," he said, "Is
who's In charge. Students claim
they accept more than half of the
cost of paying for the Pioneer.
The state claims it Is providing
the space, machinery and faculty.*;
Shirley Yamakoshl, Student
Council president, denies that the
council Is trying to gain control
of the paper. "We Just want the
rules of the game before we start
to play,* she seld.
But, says Whltson, •The problem Is a simple one. Our Student
Council wants more control In
the management of our paper and
they are withholding funds until
they reach a compromise with
the administration.*
In previous semesters, the
council has budgeted about $30.-
000 for publication of the Pioneer »*-
Since funds were cut off In December, the paper's staff has
been printing a mimeographed
paper at Its own expense and circulating petitions protesting the
council's action.
to begin the fall semester.
SECOND MEETING
About the 20th of September, I
made the call. Beck suggested we
meet that morning and that we
would have to be careful not tobe
seen together.
He arranged the meeting for
0:30 a.m. at the Mammoth Truck
Stop near Highway 99 and Hern-
don Avenue. He said I was to park
in the row of cars near the
restaurant and wait for his rust-
colored, late model Ambassador
sedan.
He arrived about 30 minutes
late and motioned for me to Join
him In his car.
We began by making small talk.
After a while he handed me an
official-looking document he said
was a "confidentiality" statement
and he asked me to sign it.
I had anticipated such a legal
request but had hoped against It
because, If binding, It would obviously kill my story.
The statement contained
phrases such as: •! will not divulge any Information learned
during my contact with the bureau" and that I would be helping
the U.S. government because •!
consider It my patriotic duty to
do so.*
I didn't want to sign the document, fearing It would legally
prevent me from having a story
printed. I told Beck I objected to
the line about It being my patriotic
duty to Inform.
He said he understood my feelings, and with a ball-point pen,
crossed the line off the paper. My
bluff called, I had to tell him I
had changed my mind, but I tried
to leave an option open by saying
I would give him a call should I
ever hear anything important.
He said I was •making a mistake.* I opened the door and returned to my car.
DEATH THREAT
I had no further contact with the
(Continued on Page 4, Col. 3)
Directors to study removal
of student athletics control
The FSC Association Board of
Directors met yesterday and discussed possible changes inCSUF
athletic policy to comply with
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) regulations.
According to Dr. H. O. Schor-
Ung, executive vice president,
NCAA policy requires "Institutional control* of athletic programs at member colleges.
■Administrative control or
faculty control or a combination
of the two shall constitute Institutional control.* according to
regulations.
NCAA policy also requires that
administrative or faculty staff
members shall be a majority of
the board In control of Intercollegiate athletics.
The Student Senate Board on
Athletics currently handles day-
to-day athletic activities. The
board Is composed of five students and four administrative
and faculty members.
Hal Bolen, student body admin
istrative vice-president, suggested that CSUF could comply
with NCAA regulations by shifting
the composition of the athletics
board.
•Can we get by merely by
changing the board on athletics,
or do we have to go all the way
up the chain of command?" Bolen
asked board members.
The board Indicated It would
study NCAA regulations further
before taking action.
In other matters, the board ap-
^polnted a committee to draw up
the 1973-74 association budget.
Bolen will head the committee to
work out the budget for almost
$4 million In student funds.
The board (sjso authorized a
study to explore the possibility
of state funding of the Special
Admission Students Summer Institute. The program provides
orientation for students who do
not meet university entrance requirements, but are admitted under special programs.