I hate to close this document the way I must. I am trying to tell you the truth and nothing but the truth. Contempt for the National Government is growing at least as fast, percentagewise, as crime is. If S. 1592, or anything like it is passed it will put from 5,000 to 10,000 small sports shops and gunsmiths out of business. It will enrage and inconvenience at least 20 million sportsmen. It will convince a few more million citizens that subversion rules in Washington. The Washington government cannot afford the Dodd bill now-perhaps never. I am a veteran of the Battle of the Argonne in the First World War. I have spent about 20 years of my life as a law officer and on the bench. To the best of my ability I have given you a backwoods, grassroots opinion. Yours very respectfully. P.S.-I should like to have this brief included in the record. DONALD E. MARTIN. GARDEN CITY, KANS., July 16, 1965. Re S. 1592. HOUSE WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE, House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. GENTLEMEN: This correspondence is relative to the pending legislation on S. 1592 sponsored by Senator Dodd, of Connecticut. Let me make a brief connotation: 1. State revenue cut due to nonsale of licenses, hunting equipment, motel and hotel lodging. 2. Financial burden on small dealers due to high fee. 3. Restrict the purchase of sporting firearms by mail; many purchases of this southwest Kansas area can only be supplied by this means. 4. Arbitrary and unlimited power to the Secretary of the Treasury. 5. Groundwork for complete firearms control. These restrictions and others not noted are intended to eliminate crimes committed by use of firearms. However, this would not stop a criminal from acquiring one, which is a well-known fact. Its only accomplishment would be to create a burden for millions of other law-abiding Americans. The administration has stressed the passage of the civil rights law. I interpret this to mean uniform rights and equality. Also, at this time there is discussion which would make it a Federal offense to assassinate a President. If there were definite civil rights, it would be a Federal offense to assassinate anyone, not just the President. Isn't this true civil rights? If this would eliminate the chance of assassination of a President, it would do the same for any of the citizens. Direct action by proper legislation affecting those persons using the firearms for unlawful purposes would be the simplest and nonburdensome type of legislation that could be adopted. This solution whereby the law affects the violator and not the innocent bystander, in my opinion, would be much better than the current S. 1592. This has been the consensus of opinion that the people of southwest Kansas have conveyed to me and which should be considered in your never-ending number of important decisions you must make. Thanking you for your attention and consideration, I remain, Sincerely, Dr. M. E. NIEDENS. YARDLEY, PA., July 19, 1965. Re firearms control. Chairman WILBUR D. MILLS, Committee on Ways and Means, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C. DEAR REPRESENTATIVE MILLS: I would like to go on record for the hearing of the proposed firearms legislation by proposing: 1. Exempt antique firearms from current legislation. 2. Enforce more severe punishment for crimes committed with guns. 3. Promote programs to teach the proper use of firearms to both young and old. 4. Hold parents or an older person responsible for the use of firearms by the youth of this country. 5. Permit sale of guns, both new and old, so that collectors and sportsmen may still enjoy their hobbies. DETAILED STATEMENTS 1. Men, clubs, and organizations have collected antique firearms since the birth of this country. I see no need to take that right from them. The nature of operation of antique firearms almost dictates that they would not be useful for modern crime. 2. Criminals will obtain guns for their crimes no matter what the law says. Any criminal caught after a crime with a gun should be severely punished, more so than the same crime without a gun. 3. Promote programs to teach proper use of firearms such as is used in modern Switzerland. This will promote a better understanding of how and what a firearm will accomplish. This argument is similar to that used with a child in letting them satisfy their curiosity and they will not be so intrigued with every gun they see. Prohibition will only cause underground activities to the detriment of everyone. 4. Youths should be under the supervision of older persons when allowed to use firearms in order to promote proper firearms usage with safety to others. 5. Many people have Federal firearms licenses to permit them to buy and sell firearms as a hobby or in some cases a livelihood. If the license rate is increased to the value reported many small dealers will be eliminated. It will be impossible to cross State lines with purchases of guns or ammunition. It would also be impossible to go from one State to another for purposes of hunting or shooting matches without a lot of unnecessary "redtape.” I am a life member of NRA, a father, homeowner, and gun collector. I have a Federal firearms license because I classify myself as a gunsmith. I repair and restore antique firearms for my own collection as well as for my friends. There have been many relaxing hours spent with my collection and I would like to see that right preserved by some well-thought-out legislation if we must have it. Sincerely, Re H.R. 6628. Mr. LEO H. IRWIN, NORMAN J. SCHWARTZ. NEWINGTON, CONN., July 19, 1965. Chief Counsel, House Committee on Ways and Means, DEAR SIR: Because I am extremely interested in sporting and collectors' firearms. I respectfully request modification of the subject bill. I object because it will not prevent gangsters and criminals from securing and using firearms. I would like to request that all efforts be made to support another bill in its place; namely, Congress H.R. 5642, introduced by the Honorable Bob Casey. of Texas. This bill, in my opinion, would deter the criminal without the drastic consequences to our honest citizens. Please include my views in the hearing record in an effort to provide a bill acceptable to sportsmen and firearms collectors. Very truly yours, JAMES B. SMITH. QUINCY, MASS., July 7, 1965. Re H.R. 6628. Congressman JAMES M. BURKE, Washington, D.C. (In care of Leo H. Irvin, chief counsel). DEAR CONGRESSMAN BURKE: Thank you for the data contained in your June 24 letter relating to H.R. 6628, the proposed firearms control legislation. President Kennedy was killed by a Marxist, who received instructions and additional training in Communist Russia, was married to a Communist Russian woman, and was returned to the United States with a specific task to perform. Oswald purchased a mail-order rifle from Kleins in Chicago. Any criminal who would buy a mail-order rifle would have to have his criminal mind examined. He would steal it, as they always do, unseen, undetected. Did you ever receive a rifle through the mail? This method of purchasing, packaging, and transportation is the easiest and simplest to be seen, noted, and/or traced. Oswald was an expert marksman in the Marine Corps, as Communist Russia knew, and they knew everything about Oswald, and he purposely aimed to miss General Walker, a stationary, silhouetted, perfect target. This merely an example of Communist terror and intimidation as far as General Walker was concerned. Who would care if General Walker was killed and what would it accomplish? Communist Russia always uses any means to an end, if you will but think as they do. President Kennedy was assisnated with mail-order rifle to perpetuate and bring about gun legislation not now on the books, and Senator Dodd, who should know better, is being taken in by these masters of deceit. As for Rubenstein, part and parcel of the Communist conspiracy, it is self-evident that Oswald would not be permitted to live and confess. There appears to be sufficient and adequate gun laws now, and the next one, if you pass it, will ultimately result in confiscation. And in confiscation you will be responsible for the final step in Communist Russia's schedule for the destruction and enslavement of our people, and the death of Western civilization. As absolute proof of the foregoing absolute guilt of Communist Russia in the assassination of President Kennedy, should you reject H.R. 6628, another prominent American will be assassinated with a firearm in a revised Communist Russia means to an end. Yours very truly, LEO H. IRWIN, NORMAN WALTER. HUMBOLDT, ARIZ., July 10, 1965. Chief Counsel, Committee on Ways and Means, Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. DEAR SIR: I wish to make this statement regarding the proposed Dodd gun law, S. 1592. It is my feeling that Mr. Dodd's law is a complete farce in that it leaves far too much in the hands of the Department of the Treasury and the Department of Justice. It has been my finding in times past that laws of this nature do nothing to stop crime because the criminal is not about to concern himself that the weapon he uses is illegal when the crime he is about to commit is far more illegal. Guns are not the chief weapons in murder, robbery and assault cases. Statistics show that far more crimes of mayhem and robbery are committed with knives, axes, chairs, bats, hammers, and other clublike weapons than are committed with firearms. NRA testimony has already revealed these facts. I further feel that Mr. Dodd has used too many undesirable tactics in attempting to cram his law through. In an earlier letter to me Mr. Dodd himself stated that he would see that his bill should be rammed through no matter who might stand in his way. This attitude already reveals that he is not acting in the interests of the general public who are opposed to the bill in the majority. It is also evident that firearms control which Dodd suggests would ruin many small firearms dealers and ammunition suppliers such as myself by demanding an exorbitant fee far in excess of what we could make from sales during a single year. I believe that this is Dodd's intent to help erase another facet of our free enterprise system. In conclusion I would like to point out that this bill would be a step which the Communists would greatly approve of as they desire nothing greater than seeing the U.S. citizen disarmed along with the military. We would then be open to immediate subjugation by the U.N. under Communist direction. I respectfully submit this as a written statement of my opposition to Senator Thomas Dodd's proposed bill, S. 1592, and other similar bills which might be entered. Sincerely, JOHN A. KEELER. SUMMARY OF STATEMENTS BY PUBLIC WITNESSES ON THE SUBJECT, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THE FEDERAL FIREARMS ACT AND THE NATIONAL FIREARMS ACT The list below indicates those individuals and organizations who presented oral testimony to the committee as well as written statements for the printed record of the hearing without any accompanying summary. Due to the lack of time of the committee staff, these statements have not been summarized. The statements are printed in full in the body of the hearings and can be located by referring to the table of contents. Abbitt, Hon. Watkins M., Member of Congress (Virginia). American Bar Association. American Society of Arms Collectors. Arizona Game and Fish Department. Atkinson & Marquart Rifle Co. Baring, Hon. Walter S., Member of Congress (Nevada). Berry, Hon. E. Y., Member of Congress (South Dakota). Boone and Crockett Club. Broyhill, Hon. James T., Member of Congress (North Carolina). Camp Fire Club of America, Manhattan Rifle & Revolver Association, Greater New York Pistol League, Coablyn Rifle & Gun Club. Casey, Hon. Bob, Member of Congress (Texas). Chisholm Trail Antique Gun Association. Citizens Committee for Firearms Legislation. Citizens Committee on Natural Resources. Colorado Wildlife Federation, Inc. Connecticut State Rifle & Revolver Association. Diaz, Joseph, Jr., Bridgeport, Conn. Dingell, Hon. John, Member of Congress (Michigan). Edwards, William B., San Francisco, Calif. Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission. Galloway, E. Dexter, Hutchinson, Kans. Garmatz, Hon. Edward A., Member of Congress (Maryland). Guns and the Shooting Industry magazine. International Armament Corp. Knobloch, Tommy, Great Bend, Kans. Kraemer, M. W., Hays, Kans. Lindsay, Hon. John V., Member of Congress (New York). Memphis Gun Collectors Association. Michigan Gun Collectors Association. Murphy, Hon. John M., Member of Congress (New York). National Wildlife Federation. 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