Correspondence Between President Harry S. Truman and Governor John Bonner, with Related Material

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Filed DEC 7 1951 6-6 file U. S. Naval Station, Key West, Florida. December 4, 1951. My dear Governor Bonner: This is to acknowledge your telegram of November third relating to the proposed regulations to govern the negotiation of contracts between attorneys and Indian X526 tribes which I submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for study and report. I am now advised by the Secretary that since the proposed regulations were first made public he has received from interested citizens many comments, favorable as well as unfavorable, concerning them. The Secretary of the Interior is fully aware of the gravity and importance of the problems presented by the proposed regulations, and has recently announced that a public hearing will be held on them in Washington, D. C., on January 3 and 4, 1952. He assures me that no precipi- tate decision will be made, and that no final action will be taken which can be said to jeopardize the right of Indian tribes to be represented in the handling of their affairs 296 by counsel of their own choice. The Secretary further assures me that in taking such final action he will give the most earnest considera- tion to your position in this matter. Sincerely yours, MARRY T / 1 (SI Harry S.Truman / - GOVERNMENT X Gen WDH/kn Honorable John W. Bonner, X PP7 4813 Governor of Montana, Helena, Montana.