European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 20, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                                The Battle Over firearms control Laws by Robert s. Mcneill Stoff writer president Johnson says the nation urgently needs More gun control Laws to reduce crime. Fri director j. Edgar Hoover agrees. So do most of the nation s police chiefs and lawyers. Several million sportsmen do no agree. They contend the administration s firearms control Bill is a  see it As a lot of words that would not deter criminals but would simply impost unreasonable restrictions on Hon est citizens. To pass firearms control Laws a every level of government is an act of simple Prudenc and a measure of civilized society president Johnson said in his crime message to Congress last february. Harold Classen president of the National Rifle association of America chief opponent of the administration Bill sees it differently. We agree in Many respects with the intent of the legislation proposed by the administration and we endorse some fits provisions he says. But several we cannot abide and will not go  now the Issue fanned by snipers indecent race riots has become a major controversy with emotions running Hoton both sides. Basically the split is Between Rural residents and City dwell ers Between those americans who con Sider a firearm a necessary tool an those who Seldom use guns and mostly see them hanging from a policeman s  the urbanization of the country the controversy was bound to explode sooner or later. Not Only has the fron tier disappeared but the Era of the Small farm is Over. Most americans live in cities and most of their contacts wit guns come via television. But there Are Rural americans left which City people sometimes Over look and there Are City dwellers who habitually use guns for sporting Pur poses. Most of these Are steadfast i their opposition to proposed gun control Laws which they consider unrealistic incurring crime. Al probably no other country could generate such a tempest about guns Forno other nation s history has been so entwined with them. For hundreds of year americans depended on guns for their very livelihood and Well into the 20thcentury this was known As a nation of  most europeans were denied guns mostly for political reasons americans considered them As necessary As an a. No other nation has produce such distinctive weapons As the Ken Tucky Rifle revolving pistol lever action Saddle carbine and pump shot gun. Indeed Many of the military Small arms used by other countries were in vented by  a Hunter an expertly crafted Rifle or Shotgun is a Joy to behold a tributes priceless he May never even fire it. To a target shooter obtaining an exceptionally accurate Rifle is like finding a Diamond in the  Man can understand How any body could consider a gun a sinister instrument of crime. To a Man they Are stung by the implication from some quarters that guns themselves Are evil and should be  pistol shooters Are also i Turbed. A Man who has trained for Page 12 at the . Corra f us crime message to the 89th  is the Bill that died in the sen Date judiciary committee in 1966 and the one Dodd reintroduced this year with the president s  measure was approved 5 to 4 by Dodd s subcommittee sept. 15, and Isnow in the Parent judiciary committee headed by a determined foe of gun controls sen. James o. Eastland a miss. In the House the Bill is being considered by Celler s judiciary subcommittee. Sportsmen have three main objections to the Dodd Celler Bill it would pro Hibit interstate shipments of All guns including rifles and shotguns Between no dealers it would forbid a person from buying a handgun Over the counter outside his own state and it would give the Secretary of the Treasury vast Powers to restrict imports of foreign guns. In an Effort to win support of Somei Western and Southern senators who j might ordinarily vote with the adminis i traction Dodd offered an amendment sept. 28 to give the states the option i of exempting themselves from the pro vision limiting interstate shipments of rifles and shotguns to licensed dealers. T. A los Angeles police sgt Rkenneth Carpenter shows Sens. Dodd left Kenneth Keating typical mail order gun at hearings. Years sometimes even giving up smok ing and drinking to Sharpen his mental concentration and muscle control con siders himself no More of a menace to society than a weekend  Foremost were guns in the minds of Early americans that they wrote into the 2nd amendment to the Constitution a Well regulated militia being Neces sary to the Security of a free state the right of the people to keep and Bea arms shall not be  there Are similar provisions in 35 state constitutions. Nevertheless there Are Strong Force sin the United states determined to impose More restrictions on gun sales Asa Means of reducing crime. The administration s gun control Bill Isone but it does not go As far As proposals by Fri director Hoover the National Council of churches and others who want All guns in the United states to be registered. President Johnson s gun Bill has the backing of two of the strongest proponents of gun control  f. Kennedy ., and Edward m. Kennedy d-mass.,. Whose brother was assassinated by a sniper with a mail order  with their backing the author sen. Thomas j. Dodd d-conn., won forthe Bill the sponsorship in the Senate of Sens. Joseph d. Tydings a a. Jaco javits . George a. Smathers d Fla. Hiram Fong a Hawaii and Josephs. Clarke a a. Although rep. Emanuel Celler ., was the Only sponsor of the Dodd Bill in the House almost identical Mea sures were introduced by reps. Jona than b. Bingham  Cornelius e. Gallagher . Edna f. Kelly  Richard d. Mccarthy  Frank j. Brasco ., and Thomasm. Rees a Calif. In appealing for gun control Legisla Tion in this session of Congress presi Dent Johnson wrote House speaker Johnw. Mccormack d-mass., and asked for prompt action on the Dodd Celle Bill. Last year two million guns we resold in the United states. Many of them were sold to hardened criminals snipers mental defectives rapists habitual drunkards and juveniles there is no excuse for this Johnson wrote. Lieve it is merely the first step to Ward National gun registration then gradual  opponents say that a robber or a murderer is going to get a gun if he wants one Laws notwithstanding. They also say and proponents concede that no Bill yet drafted would have made it illegal for Lee Harvey Oswald or Texas University sniper Charles Whitman to buy their guns. Oswald shot president Kennedy an Whitman shot 44 persons killing 14, from atop a Tower at the University of Texas at Austin. Although both could have been mentally deranged at the hese westerners and southerners have complained that Many of their constituents live in isolated areas and do most of their buying via mail  Era however still rejects the amended Dodd Celler measure and i supporting a less restrictive Bill introduced by sen. Roman l. Hruska a neb. An almost identical Bill was introduced in the House by rep. Cecil , d-Calif., which also has the Era s support. Basically the Hruska Bill would Putno restrictions on sales of rifles and shotguns and would permit interstate orders of handguns when buyers provide sworn statements that they Are not Dis obeying the gun Laws of their own state. These handgun shipments however would be delayed seven Days to allow police to investigate the buyer. Before supporting the Hruska Bill then a issued its own four Point Sugges Tion for proposed gun legislation pro Hibit Possession of firearms by criminals mental incompetents drug addict Sand alcoholics impose severe penalties on persons who use firearms in com mitting a crime control sales of guns to juveniles impose reasonable and specific limitations on carrying concealed i time they had no criminal or mental weapons but require mandatory Permis a � 1 _ j Ino j. _ ,,.,. ,.records which would have denied them sides having the Strong backing of guns under existing Law or under the the administration the Dodd Celler Bill Dodd Celler Bill. Is backed by the International Assoc a the Dodd Celler Bill grew out of an _0 Tion of chiefs of police the american i investigation begun in 1959 by Dodd s been accused we Are in the forefront bar association and Hoover who re Senate juvenile delinquency sub commit of forces supporting a Bill. To  lev to Orff a it n a Ramonn Ufa pm win we a _ l a 1 j _. _ ._2 a 2_ 1 a Sion when requirements Are  l. Orth executive director of the Era said that far from being against All gun legislation As we have heatedly urges its passage in the monthly Fri Law enforcement bulletin. Atty. Gen. Ramsey Clark said it was incredible that no gun control Bill was passed after president John f. Ken Nedy s assassination. Of All the specific items of crime control legislation fire arms control is far and away the most important for the Protection of Public safety Clark said. In the september Issue of the feb bulletin Hoover wrote there is no doubt in my mind that the easy accessibility of firearms is responsible for Many killings both impulse and premeditated the statistics Are grim and Rea Listic. Strong measures must be taken tee. The result was a Bill that Wouldhave required an individual before he could receive a handgun through the mail to Send the shipper a notarized statement that he was Over 18, had noncriminal record and that his Purchase would not violate Laws of his  Congress could act Kennedy was shot Down by a mail order  ignited fierce Antigua sentiment and Dodd amended his Bill to include rifles and shotguns. The Era helped draft the original Odd Bill but it opposed inclusion of Rifle and shotguns. It since has fought the administration Bill. The amended Bill died in the Senate and promptly to protect the  Commerce committee in 1964, but Dodd but sportsmen fear and distrust the Dodd Celler Bill. For one thing they be  out of the hands of criminals Anesther misfits while protecting the rights of the legitimate gun  sportsmen in fact criticize the Era for supporting any gun control measures. What they ask is the next step gun and outdoor magazines Are full of introduced an even More restrictive billin 1965 after president Johnson delivered some sport Menril Cize Llie Era. For supporting any gun on Lrol Rnea sures a los Angeles police inspect Cache of arms including automatic weapons which would be controlled by Bills. Charges that the next step by Antigua forces is National registration then Grad Ual confiscation through imposition of intolerable ownership requirements. This fear of a second step is Dis counted by administration supporters. D Odd says it is in the Best interests of the nation s 14 million Hunters to work for gun. Legislation now. If actions delayed he says there will be de mands for a much More restrictive Lawthan he proposes. If they sportsmen think my Bill i bad Dodd said let them wait four or five years and see what kind of Bill comes  Edward Kennedy denounced the first step theory As a  he said the legislation was intended to establish a framework in which states and local governments can enforce their own gun control  besides having the Era opposition the administration Bill is hotly opposed by various organizations of outdoors men the wildlife agencies of virtually All the states plus 10 Legislatures which adopted resolutions against it. They Are Ala Bama Alaska Arkansas Kansas Loui Sianna Michigan Montana Oklahoma Pennsylvania and Texas. Some of the organizations testifying against the Dodd Celler Bill included the National wildlife federation the wild life management Institute National skeet shooting association Amateur trap shooting association and International association of game fish an conservation commissioners. Other organizations which have warned against excessive restrictions in clude the american legion the Grange the farm Burea federation and the Reserve officers association. The conservation groups Point out that in 1966, there were 14,351,768 licensed Hunters who paid $77,278,164 for their licenses. They fear that this Revenue which helps pay for every state wildlife program in the nation might be slashed if Hunters encounter oppressive gun controls. The controversy has left the Era with some determined congressional enemies. Edward Kennedy one of the most out spoken asked the army to cancel the National Rifle and pistol matches administered by the Era and charged that the civilian marksmanship pro Gram a joint Effort by the army and Era be  said the National matches were too costly and Only benefited then a and that the marksmanship pro Gram was useless. The army replied that it was looking into the matter. A Sens. Ted Robert Kennedy Lead fight to control guns in . Major provisions of the two major gun control Bill Snow before Congress the Dodd Celler Bill endorsed by the administration and the Hruska King Bill supported by the National Rifle association Dodd Celler no firearm could be shipped in interstate Commerce except Between licensed gun dealers. A proposed amendment would allow states to exempt themselves from this provision and permit interstate sales of rifles and shotguns Between  of handguns would be limited to residents of the state where the Sale was  of All firearms except those suitable for sporting uses would be prohibited with the Secretary of the Treasury having Broad Powers to determine what kind of guns could be imported and who could import  age for purchasing a Rifle or a Shotgun would be 18 for a handgun 21.firearms made before 1870 and not using fixed ammunition would not be covered. Hruska King mail order handgun purchasers would have to provide sworn statements that they were 21, were not prohibited by any Law from buying a handgun and identifying the chief Law enforcement officer of the locality where the gun would be  shipper would  to Forward the sworn statement to the Law enforcement officer and then wait seven Days to permit a police investigation before shipping the handgun. A person could not receive a firearm purchased outside his Home state if it were unlawful for him to Purchase the same gun in ins Home state. It would be unlawful for a ship per to Send a firearm to a person in another Statt in Viola Tion of the Laws of the buyer s  Carrier could knowingly deliver a handgun to a person under 21. No manufacturer or dealer could deliver handgun to any Carrier without prior written notice. The stars and stripes Friday october 20, 1967 the stars and stripes Page 13