2. Early and Growing Concerns About SDS and the Mobe

The chapter examines the early concerns about the Communist Party USA's (CPUSA) involvement in the 1965 March on Washington to End the War in Vietnam, organized by the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS). It explores the FBI's surveillance and counterintelligence efforts, including the use of informants and wiretaps, to monitor CPUSA's influence on SDS. The text also delves into the personal and political dynamics within SDS, including debates about allowing Communist members and the group's interactions with foreign Communist officials. Additionally, it discusses the formation and activities of the National Mobilization Committee to End the War in Vietnam (the Mobe) and the increasing frequency of private meetings between New Left activists and Communist government officials. The chapter concludes by highlighting the growing collaborative and clandestine relationships between SDS, CPUSA, and foreign Communist powers, setting the stage for further developments in the anti-war movement.