Looking at when 201 file started

[Steven Gaal]

I think in some fashion this was pressure by James Angleton on director McCone...just my thoughts..

LAWRENCE JOHN HOWARD

LAWRENCE JOHN HOWARD (born January 17, 1933) came from a group headed by Guy Gabalon called the Drive Against Communist Aggression. In 1961 Gabalon ran an anti-Castro office in Los Angeles. When he ran for Congress in 1964 Loran Hall was his campaign manager. When the CIA released HOWARD'S 201 File, rather than release the 201 File of JOHN LAWRENCE HOWARD, it released the 201 File of Lawrence Henry Howard (born November 3, 1913 in Bridgeport, Connecticut), who's 201 File was opened July 24, 1964, and indicated he was a Merchant Marine who held a Master's rating and was employed by the Bloomfield Steamship Company in Houston, Texas. Much of the information in this file was withheld. [CIA 201-756,375]

When the CIA determined if Lawrence Henry Howard's 201 file should be closed, because he was an American citizen, it kept the file opened and cited "all others. (Deleted)."

When the CIA did an INDEX SEARCH AND 201 CONSOLIDATION REPORT on HOWARD on July 24, 1975, it located one applicable reference dated November 10, 1959. The nature of this reference has been withheld.

1954

States Marine took over management of Bloomfield Steamship Co., 906 Cotton Exchange Bldgs., Houston, TX, eventually gaining control of this company, retaining the name until all vessels disposed/scrapped by mid 1969. Bloomfield was originally founded after WW II by Ben M. Bloomfield, a former executive with Lykes Brothers Steamship Co., based in Houston, TX, acquiring surplus vessels to serve the Gulf region. Lykes blocked Bloomfield's subsidy application, resulting in Bloomfield selling its 3 surplus C2's and 80% of the stock to Farrell Lines, the owner of the remaining 20% of the stock. In 1951 Bloomfield, with local Texas backing, reestablished his company with 5 VC2s and 3 EC2s, servicing Europe and the Mediterranean from the Gulf. While Lykes couldn't block Bloomfield during the Korean War, with the U.S. Government's demand for shipping, following this war pressure was brought to bear, causing the passage of management to States Marine.

States Marine filed first application for vessel subsidies from the U.S. Government.

Old Dominion State (1), EC2, sold to United Steamship Corp. of Panama; renamed Henry Ulman and flagged in Panama.

Wolverine State (1), EC2, sold to Omnium Steamship Co. of New York; renamed Omnium Trader and flagged in Liberia. +++++++++STATES MARINE WAS BLOOMFIELD +++++++++

Below written by Simkin

McCone then decided to build the world’s first nuclear-powered commercial merchant ship. The Maritime Commission appointed a professional selection board to consider the six bidders for the $40 million contract. McCone and Bechtel both had a financial interest in one of the companies, States Marine Line, via the Joshua Henry Corporation. When the rankings were announced, States Marine Line was in fifth place. The final decision was in the hands of Commerce Secretary Sinclair Weeks. He overrode his own board and granted the contract to States Marine Line. Drew Pearson discovered McCone’s financial involvement in the company and wrote about the matter in his syndicated column. As a result of this publicity, McCone eventually agreed to place all his shipping interests in an irrevocable trust. (64)

Edited February 4, 2010 by Steven Gaal