January Mr. James P. 1944 ; Via Air Mail Hume, % Wilkinson, First Huxley, National Chicago, Dear 18, Byron & Knight, Bank Building, Illinois. Jim: After talking to you upon the telephone today the thought occurred to me that it would be a good thing for us to know definitely whether or not the Browning Arms Company and the Jo M. & M. S&S. Browning Company will be assigned to the St. Louis Ordnance Price Adjustment Board for renegotiation covering the year 1943. The last conversation with Mr. Gates Williams and other members of the Board led us to believe that we would be assigned to them for the year 1943. As evidence of this, Mr. Williams, Mr. D'Arcy and Major Thielecke all mentioned that they would see us in 1944. After you had left St. Louis, in my conversations with Mr. D'Arcy, Mr. Greenfield, Major Thielecke and Mr. Grossman, the inference was gained that it was a certainty that we would be assigned to them, as once a case had been handled by a particular Board it came back again for the hearings relating to subsequent years. Every one concerned is agreed one hundred percent that, in view of the possible changes in the renegotiation law, changes in personnel, our situation regarding Colt’s, etc., etc., that we should bring the proceedings to a close at the earliest possible moment. The point is, can we do anything to hurry it or not? It may be that the St. Louis Board cannot hear our 1943 case until it has been officially assigned to them by Washington while, on the other hand, they may have it already assigned. There is no might be involved. telling Under just the what the procedure circumstances, what is and would what "red be wrong tape” with | either you or I calling Mr. Williams, or Major Thielecke, frankly telling one or the other just what we would like to do and asking if there is any way that the hearing can be expedited. We, of © course, would not want to prejudice our case by having it get "preferred attention" but it seems to me that we may put the pressure on here to have everything completed and then wait around for two or three months. If such were the case it might alter our plans considerably as regarding Colt's. For example, it is within the realm of possibility that Colt's may be renegotiated before we are. In such an event, in the light of the information gained by the Government at our hearing in November, no one knows just what might transpire. To sum it all up, it seems to me that possibly