I have been criticized for limiting the use of our Person to Person column to members of CONTACT or FPE who are willing to fill out forms putting their cards on the table. This procedure was instituted precisely because of what I have been talking about. Two years ago before this rule when ads were accepted openly, one was run by a person in Ohio. Several of our people answered it. A network of cross reference was set up which is still being investigated. One of our best known readers was visited just last month because he had written and sent perfectly decent femme pictures to a person who had previously corresponded with the party in Ohio. Everything was clean, but he was put to the embarrassment of the interview, veiled accusation and implication and finally the statement which he was ask- ed to sign.
My limiting the services of CONTACT to those who have filled out applications is designed to screen people to such an extent as I can, but this cannot be infallible. So just don't mail anything questionable and don't re- ceive or keep it either. I think as a result of my trip to Washington and their own investigations the P. O. Dept. knows that TVism per se is neither obscene nor homosexual. But they are aware that there are a lot of fringe individuals who may indulge in cross-dressing along with other pastimes that they view with a very jaundiced eye. Thus they keep continually at it trying to ferret out those who misuse the mails so DON'T be among those whom they are looking for.
If, because you have innocently corresponded with someone they are investigating, you have an "inter- view", be polite, be firm and don't be paniced or man- ipulated into giving the names of others. They have a job to do, true, but they have no personal concern for those that they are investigating. If you are clean say So, stick to it and let it go at that...Name, rank and serial number like in the movies, but first, BE CLEAN.
83.