is exactly what these reports are
intended to contain. * * *

"In concluding that the public interest does not permit general access
to Federal Bureau of Investigation reports for information by the many
congressional committees who from time to time ask it, I am following
the conclusions reached by a long line of distinguished predecessors in
this office who have uniformly taken the same view. Example of this are
to be found in the following letters, among others:

"Letter of Attorney General Knox to the Speaker of the House, dated
April 27, 1904, declining to comply with a resolution of the House
requesting the Attorney General to furnish the House with all papers and
documents and other information concerning the investigation of the
Northern Securities case.

"Letter of Attorney General Bonaparte to the Speaker of the House, dated
April 13, 1908, declining to comply with a resolution of the House
requesting the Attorney General to furnish to the House information
concerning the investigation of certain corporations engaged in the
manufacture of wood pulp or print paper.

"Letter of Attorney General Wickersham to the Speaker of the House,
dated March 18, 1912, declining to comply with a resolution of the House
directing the Attorney General to furnish to the House information
concerning an investigation of the smelter trust.

"Letter of Attorney General McReynolds to the Secretary to the
President, dated August 28, 1914, stating that it would be incompatible
with the public interest to send to the Senate in response to its
resolution, reports made to the Attorney General by his associates
regarding violations of law by the Standard Oil Co.

"Letter of Attorney General Gregory to the President of the Senate,
dated February 23, 1915, declining to comply with a resolution of the
Senate requesting the Attorney General to report to the Senate his
findings and conclusions in the investigation of the smelting industry.

"Letter of Attorney General Sargent to the chairman of the House
Judiciary Committee, dated June 8, 1926, declining to comply with his
request to turn over to the committee all papers in the files of the
Department relating to the merger of certain oil companies. * * *

"This discretion in the executive branch has been upheld and respected
by the judiciary. The courts have repeatedly held that they will not and
cannot require the executive to produce such papers when in the opinion
of the executive