what a business executive can accomplish in the Post Office Department on every issue. The above-mentioned follows: "CHICAGO, June 18, 1968.-Three private express carriers and associations have pledged their cooperation to the Post Office Department's drive to curtail the indiscriminate mailing of firearms, Postmaster General W. Marvin Watson announced here today. "In an address before members of the Chicago Association of Commerce and Industry, the Postmaster General said he has received telegrams from REA Express, the Association of American Railroads and the Air Transport Association subscribing to his action June 12 in amending postal regulations to curtail traffic in guns. "Several other private firms have indicated they are seeking ways to join the Post Office Department in its efforts. "Additionally, three of the nation's leading manufacturers of sporting arms urged the Congress 'to eliminate the unrestricted sales of shotguns and rifles by mail to individuals,' he said. "The Postmaster General praised Illinois' new gun control law and said President Johnson 'would like nothing better than to see other states doing what this state has done in the area of gun control legislation.' "You are,' he said, 'demonstrating acceptance of responsibility on the local level.' "He said that 'President Johnson demonstrated his concern about the problem of crime and violence when he made the most extensive and far reaching crime control proposals ever made by any President in history. ""Though there were 22 separate recommendations in his proposal, there was one basic, underlying theme: crime control is a local responsibility. "Certainly,' Mr. Watson said, 'if each level of government carries out its responsibilities, the problem of combating crime and violence will be much diminished.' "The Postmaster General called upon the National Rifle Association to also join in the Administration's efforts to keep weapons out of the hands of the irresponsible. "He said the new, more stringent postal regulations 'have already been attacked by a spokesman for the National Rifle Association. "I understand,' he added, 'that this association feels it has a duty to its members. "But I feel that there can be no doubt that it has a greater duty to the American people. "No organization, no group is an island unto itself. All are part of one society. ""And so, from this forum today, I plead with those who deal in arms to work with us and to work with others. "Given the urgent nature of the problem, there must be some way for men of good will to work together, to cooperate, rather than to attack every measure, no matter how modest or limited, that merely seeks to help solve a problem.' "Mr. Watson said that since announcing the new postal restrictions on firearms shipments, he has received a large number of favorable letters which 'reinforce my view that the American people have a strong desire for firearms control.' "He denied that America is a sick country with a sick society, but said it does have sick people. "Let's treat the sick,' he said, 'and let's do what we can to keep sick minds from harming themselves and others. "That's responsibility and that's the prescription for a healthy society,' he diminished.' "ADDRESS BY POSTMASTER GENERAL W. MARVIN WATSON BEFORE THE SELECTED COMMITTEES OF THE CHICAGO ASSOCIATION OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY, SHERATON-BLACKSTONE HOTEL, CHICAGO, ILL., JUNE 18, 1968 "I am delighted to be here today in this dynamic city which, under the leadership of one of the greatest mayors in the history of our nation, Richard J. Daley, has become the most important convention city in America. Chicago makes history. And in August Chicago will once again see history made. "I am also pleased and proud to bring you a greeting from President Johnson. "When I mentioned this meeting to him before I left Washington, the Presídent said, 'I have some thoughts that I wish you would take to the Association for me. "This is a time of great testing for our nation. "Our commitment to the freedom and dignity of man, and our patience to support that commitment, are being tested in many places and many ways. "We are being tested on the battlefield in Vietnam, and on the frontiers of freedom throughout the globe. "We are being tested at the conference table in Paris. "We are being tested in the streets of Chicago, Los Angeles, Washington, and many other cities and towns throughout our land. "Searching, appraising eyes watch our every move, determined to discover if the fire and the iron that for so long characterized the American spirit has been quenched or has rusted away.' "And then the President added, 'I ask every American to work together, to join together, in assuring that we pass that test, not by abandoning traditional American principles, but by supporting them to the utmost.' "I think if each of us was asked to sit down and draw up a list of traditional American principles, one word would be certain to appear on every list. "That word is 'responsibility.' "At one time in the history of the world, men accepted without question that fate or kings or some external force would direct their lives. "The idea that man should be, and by right ought to be, responsible for himself, was at one time considered revolutionary. "In fact, it was revolutionary. It was the real powder that produced the 'shot heard round the world'-the American revolution. "The echoes from that explosion can yet be heard. And those who have heard that sound are no longer satisfied to let others run their affairs, or to accept what others want to do for them. "The American Revolution of responsibility-and not Communism or fascismhas produced the vast outpouring of nationalism and self-determination that has swept across the world during the past two centuries. Many nations have long ago passed through that revolutionary stage, Italy, for example. Others have done so only yesterday, as history is measured, such as India and Algeria. Some are still struggling against forces that would keep men from becoming responsible for their own destiny, notably the people in South Vietnam. "It would seem that we, who created this basic desire for personal responsibility, would cling to it, would foster it, would always rejoice in our freedom to solve our own problems. "Yet, too often we have strayed far from this greatest product of our free land. "Social problems that should have been solved at the local level have been permitted to grow and grow and grow, until they became too big or too ugly or too costly. And then the Federal government has moved in or was called in. "Too often also, the very people who refused to meet their responsibilities then accused the Federal government of getting too big. "Well, I happen to know for a fact that President Johnson agrees the Federal government is big enough. "He would like nothing better than to see other States doing, for example, what this State has done in the area of gun control legislation. "I am informed that effective in 13 days, the State of Illinois will require individuals to hold a 'firearm owner's identification card' before buying guns or ammunition. This law, adopted by your General Assembly in 1967, is so well designed that other states are studying it as model state legislation. "This is responsibility, freely accepted. "Certainly, this Association is meeting its responsibilities. "I can tell you that the President would like nothing better than to see other private, voluntary associations following your lead. "You are setting standards of effective community programs that inspire all of us." [From the Congressional Record, June 24, 1968] NIX WILL OFFER COMPLETE MAIL-ORDER GUN CONTROL AMENDMENT Mr. Nix. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Postal Operations Subcommittee, I would like to announce that the hearing on mail-order gun control scheduled by my subcommittee for June 24, has been postponed and reset for July 2. 96-313-68-4 The subject of the hearings will be on what I believe to be a loophole in H.R. 17735—that is, intrastate shipments by U.S. mail of firearms. In addition, our courageous Postmaster General Marvin Watson, has issued regulations which will help in this matter. They are being challenged, of course, by the National Rifle Association. I believe that it is necessary to discuss this matter as well. We are all in favor of law and order. Many Members of Congress have taken the first step toward a revived interest in law and order amid howls of protest. Why? Because law and order requires that all of us give up some convenience; that those who never violate the law give up some luxury, some discretion for the general good. There have been discussions in the House and the Senate of bills which would allow individual States to remove themselves from coverage by an act of their State legislatures. Even these bills have been attacked by enemies of gun control. The National Rifle Association will not compromise. They will not reason, they will only delay. Since delay is the main weapon of the N.R.A., I will offer the Nix bill, H.R. 17949, as an amendment on the Floor of the House. I will explain and defend the Nix amendment by statements on the Floor of the House. The hearings on July 2 and thereafter will, I think, substantiate the position of those who believe we must regulate the firearms traffic. The hearings will support the action of the Postmaster General in issuing new postal regulations in support of local law enforcement. The following newspaper articles will be useful, I believe, to many Members, and I include them in the Record: "[From the Philadelphia (Pa.) Inquirer, June 23, 1968] "NIX WILL SEEK TO PLUG HOLES IN GUN CURBS "WASHINGTON, June 22.-A Philadelphia Congressman announced Saturday he will seek House approval of an amendment designed to plug a loophole in pending gun control legislation. "Rep. Robert N. C. Nix (D.) noted that a bill reported favorably by the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday forbids mail order sales of rifles and shotguns only if those mail order transactions cross State lines. "This is also true of the prohibition against mail order sales of handguns that was a part of the newly enacted anti-crime legislation just signed into law by President Johnson, according to Nix. "LOOPHOLE CITED "The result is that mail order gun sales conducted exclusively within a State would not be covered by the pending legislation, and mail order houses already are planning to exploit this loophole by decentralizing their operations, the Congressman said. "To prevent this, Nix has introduced a bill that would ban all mail order gun sales, intra-State as well as those crossing State lines. His postal operations subcommittee will hold a one-day hearing on the measure on July 2, in time for him to offer an amendment to the Administration bill on the House floor. "Timothy May, general counsel of the Post Office Department, will be the leadoff witness." "[From the Washington (D.C.) Post, May 15, 1968] "ORDER AND LIBERTY "It is of no small significance that that fastidious guardian of individual freedom, the American Civil Liberties Union, has now announced its support of effective gun control. The ACLU has long recognized that the Second Amendment posed no constitutional barrier to congressional action in this area. On Thursday, its board of directors declared that 'effective implementation of constitutional rights requires strict gun-control legislation and enforcement.' "There is an inescapable logic in this stand. Order and liberty are warp and woof of the same fabric. The one is indispensable to the other. Where order is absent, liberty is drained of content. The unchecked proliferation of firearms has so imperiled order as to entail a vital loss of liberty. The political process is impaired by the fear of assassination; the right of citizens to walk the streets is curtailed by the fear of armed footpads. It is elementary realism for the ACLU to press for control of firearms as an essential means of maintaining the order that is indispensable to the enjoyment of freedom." "[From the Philadelphia (Pa.) Inquirer, June 13, 1968] "NEW POST OFFICE RULES: POLICE MUST BE TOLD BEFORE GUN DELIVERIES "WASHINGTON, June 12.-The post office on Wednesday ruled that all guns shipped parcel post must be labeled 'firearms' and that they would not be delivered until the addressee's police chief, was notified. "Postmaster General W. Marvin Watson issued the directive as the Senate received bills to ban all mail order sales of shotguns and rifles and to register all guns and license every gun owner in the United States. "Harold W. Glassen, president of the one-million-member National Rifle Association, said that as a lawyer he considered Watson's order unconstitutional. "He also said the bills to register guns and license owners corroborated the NRA's long-held belief that proponents of tight gun controls seek to ultimately confiscate all privately owned firearms. "Watson, speaking to the National Press Club, said that effective immediately 'firearms shipped through the mails must be clearly labeled with the word "firearms." If the shipment is not so labeled, it will not be accepted in the mails.' "A Post Office department spokesman pointed out, however, that the government had no enforcement powers and if a mailer did not label the package there was nothing the department could do about it. "Watson also, 'ordered that all postmasters shall not make delivery of any firearm without first notifying the chief law enforcement official of the community that delivery of a firearm is to be made.' "Present law prohibits pistols and revolvers from being shipped through the mails-they must be shipped via express-and a bill now awaiting the President's signature would prevent all mail order hand guns sales. "Watson also ruled sawed-off rifles and shotguns as nonmailable. He said a long gun must be at least 26 inches in overall length to be accepted by parcel post, and also ruled out any weapon 'that retains the characteristics of a concealable weapon.' "Glassen said that 'no such authority exists' permitting Watson to withhold delivery until police were notified, he said most states have no laws regarding sales of rifles and shotguns, and would thus be powerless to act even if they considered the recipient unqualified for gun ownership. "SOME RULES SOUGHT "He told a news ocnference that news media generally pictured the NRA as opposing all gun controls while it had constantly worked to prevent firearms from getting into the hands of 'the criminal, the juvenile, the mental misfit, the dope addict, the habitual drunkard.' "By the end of the day, the administration's bill to ban mail order sales of long guns had 27 cosponsors in the Senate, including several who voted against such controls last month. "The proposed mail order ban on the rifles and shotguns, rejected by the Senate 53 to 29 last month but introduced again Wednesday, was given a 'better' chance of passage since the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. "Approval of the registration and licensing measure the most restrictive gun control law yet to be proposed-was given even less chances of approval. "COMPLEMENTS LAW "The proposed prohibition on mail order sales of long arms would complement legislation already passed by Congress-and awaiting President Johnson's signature which outlaws the mail order sale of pistols and revolvers. It was introduced by Sen. Thomas J. Dodd (D., Conn.), who has long sought tighter gun laws. "The licensing and registration bill was introduced by Sen. Joseph D. Tydings (D., Md.), who conceded it had no chance of approval unless there was 'a tremendous grassroots outpouring' of demands for stricter gun controls." "[From the Washington (D.C.) Daily News, June 13, 1968] "NRA MAY TAKE POST OFFICE ORDER TO COURT: GUN LABELING CHALLENGED "(By Dan Thomasson) "The powerful Natioanl Rifle Association today challenged Postmaster General W. Marvin Watson's authority to force the labeling of all firearms shipped thru the mails. "And Franklin Orth, executive director of the anti-gun control NRA, said his one-million-member organization may test Mr. Watson's order in the courts. "Mr. Watson announced yesterday that effective immediately, all guns sent thru the mails must be clearly marked 'firearms' before they are delivered. He also ordered all postmasters to notify the addressee's police chief before making delivery. He spoke at the National Press Club. "CONCEALABLE "The Postmaster General also classified sawed-off shotguns and short-barreled rifles as 'concealable' weapons-barring them from the mails. And he asked all commercial express companies to help local law officers keep abreast of the mounting traffic in guns. "While Mr. Watson's order carries no penalties for violations, reputable gun firms are expected to comply with the labeling requirements. This, coupled with Post Office notification to local police, would enable them to determine if gun buyers have violated local or state gun-control laws. "Mr. Watson's action came as the Johnson Administration stepped up its drive in Congress for stronger gun controls. The president has asked for legislation extending a recently passed ban on mail-order sale of handguns to rifles and shotguns and restricting the sale of ammunition. Bills requiring a certificate of approval to buy a gun and to set up a compulsory system of registration for all firearms also have been introduced. "DEMAND ACTION "The new drive for stronger gun controls was picking up steam today as the public continued to demand action in the wake of the assassination of Sen. Robert F. Kennedy. "Senate Democratic Leader Mike Mansfield (Mont.), who has opposed strict controls on rifles and shotguns, now says he believes Congress will pass some version of the Administration's proposal this year. He said he has been 'reassesing' his stand against stronger firearms legislation. "Ironically, while Harold W. Glassen of Michigan, president of the NRA, was berating the Administration's new efforts. Michigan Sens. Philip Hart (D.) and Robert Griffin (R.) were reevaluating their previous opposition to tougher gun controls. "Sen. Griffin reportedly told state-wide television audiences he has changed his mind about gun control since the assassinations of Sen. Kennedy and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. "By the end of the day yesterday, 27 cosponsors had been signed up, including three Senators who voted against such controls last month when a similar measure was beaten 53 to 29 "Mr. Glassen charged that Americans are 'behaving like children' in the emotional aftermath of the Kennedy slaying and reacting as the German people did in the 1930s to the Nazi propaganda mill. He said legislation will not prevent political assassination and that 200 million guns in the U.S. should not be blamed for what one gun did. any more than 200 million Americans should be blamed for the shooting of Sen. Kennedy by one man and Dr. King by another. He accused Sen. Joseph Tydings (D., Md.) and other gun-control proponents of a "syndicated" attempt to "deceive" the public into abrogating the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. Sen. Tydings had asked Americans to wire Congress in favor of gun legislation. Mr. Orth later conceded the NRA had urged its members to "express their views" about gun legislation to their congressman and senators." |