772 ADDRESSES AND STATE PAPERS

(Rap Brown Return)

Q. Governor, Rap. Brown is in Cambridge today. Have you taken
any special precautionary steps to alert the State Police in the area?

A. No, the Attorney General's office has been in contact on a daily
basis with the situation and they have kept me advised that the situa-
tion is under full control and everything's moving along satisfactorily,

Q. Do you think Mr. Brown will get a fair trial in Cambridge?

A. I have no way to know the answer to that question, but I do
notice that certain people charged with law enforcement responsibili-
ties in Cambridge think that he can and that might be enough to con-
vince most people that he can't.

Q. Governor, along those same lines. A story in yesterday's paper
said that his defense attorneys have requested a change of venue —
possibly to Baltimore. In light of the disturbances last week, don't
you think or do you think it would be a dangerous situation?

A. Well, I don't want to get into this area simply because it's a mat-
ter for the courts and a matter for the Attorney General's office and
the local State's Attorney's office to decide. It's not a matter of execu-
tive decision and I think I'd be stepping out of line to attempt to
pass judgments on these questions.

(Attorney General Legal Fees)

Q. Governor, there have been a number of reports lately that At-
torney General Burch dispenses State legal work to members of his
own party, which is not your party, of course. Do you approve of this
kind of procedure using public funds to pay your political figures
for legal work?

A. Well, in the first place I'm not sure that you can come to that
conclusion as glibly as you just have. I don't see anything to criticize
in what I have read that has taken place so far. I think as long as the
fees paid are fair — as long as the attorneys are competent — I find
nothing to criticize about the Attorney General's actions.

(Political Reaction to Baltimore Statement)

Q. Governor, a Washington newspaper has suggested that your re-
marks to the civil rights leaders did you some political good. Would
you respond to that?

A. No, I would not care to make an analysis of that because I think
— in the first place I don't think anybody can make that judgment