Changes

Besides an organizational genius, proved a master of the Washington arts, as he convinced the public, and Congress, that the FBI deserved more money, personnel and power. Increasingly he forged direct ties with the president in office, bypassing his nominal superior the Attorney General. By setting up services for local police, especially training programs in scientific methods and a national fingerprint database, the FBI built a solid connection with police departments across the nation.<ref>  Kenneth O'Reilly, "A New Deal for the FBI: The Roosevelt Administration, Crime Control, and National Security," ''Journal of American History'' 69 (December 1982)</ref>

Besides an organizational genius, proved a master of the Washington arts, as he convinced the public, and Congress, that the FBI deserved more money, personnel and power. Increasingly he forged direct ties with the president in office, bypassing his nominal superior the Attorney General. By setting up services for local police, especially training programs in scientific methods and a national fingerprint database, the FBI built a solid connection with police departments across the nation.<ref>  Kenneth O'Reilly, "A New Deal for the FBI: The Roosevelt Administration, Crime Control, and National Security," ''Journal of American History'' 69 (December 1982)</ref>

==Subversion==

==Spying on conservatives==

In 1934 President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] secretly directed Hoover to investigate and monitor the activities of American Nazis and Nazi sympathizers, and after 1934 Roosevelt requested reports on American conservatives. When the debate on intervention in World War II heated up in 1938, FDR had Hoover redouble his efforts, looking especially at the famous hero [[Charles Lindbergh]], long an opponent of Roosevelt. Hoover found no evidence linking any of the conservatives to Nazi Germany.<ref> Douglas M.  Charles and John P. Rossi, "FBI Political Surveillance and the Charles Lindbergh Investigation, 1939-1944," ''Historian'' 1997 59(4): 831-847 in {{EBSCO]]

In 1934 President [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] secretly directed Hoover to investigate and monitor the activities of American Nazis and Nazi sympathizers, and after 1934 Roosevelt requested reports on American conservatives. When the debate on intervention in World War II heated up in 1938, FDR had Hoover redouble his efforts, looking especially at the famous hero [[Charles Lindbergh]], long an opponent of Roosevelt. Hoover found no evidence linking any of the conservatives to Nazi Germany.<ref> Douglas M.  Charles and John P. Rossi, "FBI Political Surveillance and the Charles Lindbergh Investigation, 1939-1944," ''Historian'' 1997 59(4): 831-847 in [[EBSCO]]

</ref> FDR's supporters nevertheless smeared the isolationists as friends of Hitler, fascism, totalitarianism, anti-Semitism, and even treason.<ref> Wayne S. Cole, ''Roosevelt and the Isolationists, 1932-1945'' (1983) p. 530</ref>

</ref> FDR's supporters nevertheless smeared the isolationists as friends of Hitler, fascism, totalitarianism, anti-Semitism, and even treason.  Echoes of the false allegations were repeated against conservatives for decades, even today.<ref> Wayne S. Cole, ''Roosevelt and the Isolationists, 1932-1945'' (1983) p. 530</ref>