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Sioux City, Lowa.
February 9, 1921.

Mr. J. P. Tumilty,
Secretary to the President,
White House, Washington, D. C.

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Dear Sir:-

In behalf of all former members of the Russian
Railway Service Corps, I am taking the liberty of writing to
you personally in regard to Senate bill 3865. This bill
has reference to the status of discharged members of the
Russian Railway Service Corps and it is now lying with the
Committee on Military Affairs in the House of Representatives.

Under date of March 27, 1920 you wrote me as
follows: "However, the Department of State advised me that
it has been considering for some time the question of the
status of and insurance for the members of this Corps, and
in connection with Senate bill 3865 has notified the Senate
Committee on Military Affairs that when the bill comes up
for hearing a representative of the Department wishes to be
present. It will then request that several necess ary
changes be made, and will inform the Committee that with
these changed the bill meets with the approval of the
Department."

As you know, this bill has successfully passed
the Senate and all former members of the Russian Railway
Service Corps are very anxious to have it passed by the
House at the present session, as we feel certain that
President Wilson will be glad to sign it. However, Mr. Kahn,
Chairman of the House Committee on Military Affairs, writes
me as follows: "I may say that the Secretary of War has
made an adverse report on the bill. This indicates a veto
of the bill if passed and in view of the urgent need of
passing the appropriation bills at this session the House
leaders are not willing to have time devoted to a measure
that is certain to be vetod. Perhaps the new administration
will be more kindly disposed toward the measure. "I resent
Mr. Kahn's Statement made in the last sentence, and I have
written him that I understood the State Department, instead
of the War Department, was to make final recommendation on
this bill. Also, that I felt certain President Wilson would
be pleased to sign the bill if given a chance, as I knew him
to be in full sympathy with any move toward obtaining justice
for the former members of the Russian Railway Service Corps,
and for the dependents of the deceased former members.

Would you kindly lay these facts before our
President and, if possible, give me further assurance that
the bill will not be vetoed by Mr. Wilson if it is passed by
the House of Representatives in its present form. Possibly
such information could be conveyed to Mr. Kahn, or better yet,
Mr. Baker might be influenced to withdraw his adverse report.

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