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they EVERETT & EVERETT WILLIS M. EVERETT (1863-1943) ATTORNEYS AND COUNSELORS AT LAW WILLIS M. EVERETT, JR. FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING ATLANTA, GA. January 24, 1949 The Honorable Harry S. Truman, President of the United States of America, Washington, D. C. Your Excellency In a recent action by myself before the Supreme Court of the United States styled Everett v. Truman et. al. (334 U.S. 824, 68 S. Ct. 1081), the divided decision established the subject matter as one of International Law. A copy of said petition, less Exhibit E, is en- closed for ready reference. Your Secretary of the Army, Kenneth C. Royall, upon being appraised of my serious charges against certain individuals of the U. S. Army, directed that a Commission proceed to Germany Mr. Justice Gordon Simpson of the Texas Supreme Court, Judge E. LeRoy van Roden of Pennsylvania, and Lieutenant Colonel Charles Lawrence, Jr., of the Regular Army investigated many of my charges and I am informed they verified many incidents which resulted in a unaminous recommendation to commute all remaining death penalties to life imprisonment. Irrespective of these recommendations, I was in- formed by letter from General Lucius D. Clay's Chief of Staff dated December 21, 1948, that they were going to proceed with the hanging but allowing me sixty days to make an appeal to the International Court of Justice at the Hague. Under Article 42 of Chapter II of the Statute of the Inter- national Court of Justice as signed at San Francisco on June 26, 1945, , all parties litigant shall be represented by an Agent. This request is for you to appoint a suitable agent to represent our Government in this action to require the Commanding General, European Command, to accord our defeated foe a fair and just trial. For almost three years I have devotedly plead for justice, issued no newspaper publicity, and made no attack except by direct letters to responsible officers of the United States Army in Europe and Washington or through my enclosed petition to the Supreme Court. All my ancestors came to the United States prior to the 17th century and I am confident that my single handed fight is confined entirely to principles of Justice and Right which coincide with your views. Your early reply would be appreciated due to the short time I have for perfecting an appeal. Respectfully yours, 3. ARCHIVES "NATIONAL AND Willis Excect RECORDS to . SERVICE" Willis M. Everett, Jr. WME/1p encls.