Letter from General Enoch H. Crowder's to District and Local boards - July 15, 1918
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Jefferson City, [Missouri], July 15, 1918. To District and Local Boards: You have doubtless read in the public press with appreciative interest the letter from General Crowder, declining promotion to the rank of Lieutenant General. The great ability shown by General Crowder in the discharge of the duties of his great trust is a matter of pride and gratification to the citizens of this, his native state, and you will agree with me that those of us who have been connected with him in the work are deeply appreciative of the uniform courtesy and consideration he has shown us. Under his considerate guidance the members of our various boards, all without previous experience, have been trained in their duties until now we have a mighty machine, the efficiency of which has been commented upon by the civilized world. I am sure that we all realize that much of the praise and credit for the manner in which this great service has been rendered our country in the hour of its crisis, is due, in no small part, to the system conceived by General Crowder and its execution under his masterful guidance. The movement for his appointment was spontaneous and I am sure you will feel that those of us who are connected with the work in an official way rejoice to know that the public has recognized what we knew so well, and I am equally sure that the spirit manifested by him in so magnanimously declining personal preferment upon the grounds stated in this letter will not fail to add to your admiration of the man. I think a member of one of our boards aptly expressed what we all feel when he said to me that inasmuch as General Crowder was a firm believer in the policy of drafting everybody in the service where he could render the greatest good to the country, Congress should disregard his declination, re-classify him and draft him as a Lieutenant General. Without the knowledge of General Crowder, I am sending you a copy of his letter of declination as follows:
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[page 2] July 5, 1918. Honorable George E. Chamberlain, United States Senate. My dear Senator Chamberlain: In view of that provision of the Army Appropriation Bill, personal to myself, now pending before the Conference Committee, it is unavoidable that I should take this opportunity to lay before you and also Mr. Dent, Chairman of the House conferees, my personal sentiments, and to ask you to communicate them, if you see fit, to your associates. That the provision in question involves a compliment and a distinction which I value beyond anything in my military career, is natural; and that the approval testified to by the vote of the Senate gratifies me beyond the power of words to express, is a simple statement of fact. But, after considerable reflection, and viewing the matter in a broad way, I am reluctant to allow the consideration of the proposed proviso to proceed any further. If the conferees are in accord with my wishes in this regard, I should be glad if you, for the Senate conferees, and Chairman Dent, for the House Conferees, in reporting back to your respective houses that the Senate conferees yielded on this provision, would say that the action was in accord with my request and for the express reason next to be stated. Forty-eight States and three Territorial Headquarters and nearly six thousand Local and District Boards, with an aggregate membership of nearly eighteen thousand citizens, assisted by legal and medical advisory boards in every jurisdiction, have cooperated with the National Headquarters efficiently and honorably, and many without compensation, in the superb teamwork which has produced the gratifying results attained under the Selective Service law. These results embrace the registration of more than ten and one-half million of citizens, and their classification for military service, and the entrainment of the nearly 1,600,00 men now serving with the colors. By August 1 of this year this latter number will be approximately 2,000,000 and by the close of the year, if expected requisitions are received, the aggregate will approximate 3,000,000. Of the members of these boards it may be truly said that, when the Selective Service System, which they administer ceases to function efficiently to produce the military and to conserve the industrial man-power, we shall be in a fair way to lose this war. I have long entertained the view that something ought to be done to recognize publicly and emphatically the enormous sacrifices these citizens have made in bestowing the continuous and exhausting services that have been indispensable in carrying the administrative burden of the Selective Service System. The difficulty has been in
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[page 3] devising a suitable reward, nation-wide in its application, and acceptable generally to those who have so participated. At the risk of being regarded as ungrateful to the proposers of this provision, I cannot bring myself to be satisfied that my own conscientiously performed share in discharging that duty should become the subject of recognition, so long as the far greater share of these other builders of the National Army remains without public and distinguished acknowledgement in the records of Congress. These men, my fellow workers, their toils, their sacrifices and their achievements, are next to my heart. On this subject I frankly confess to a deep sentiment- I hope it will not be reckoned as sentimentality- a sentiment which would not receive unalloyed satisfaction from the bestowal of any honor, however, generous, that is personal to myself only. In placing before you, at this time, these sincere convictions, I trust that I have adequately expressed the motive that prompted this letter. Cordially and gratefully yours, E.H. Crowder, Provost Marshal General. Very sincerely, J.H. McCord, Lt. Col., U.S.N.G., Executive Officer, S.S.L.
Details
| Title | Letter from General Enoch H. Crowder's to District and Local boards - July 15, 1918 |
| Creator | McCord, J.H. |
| Source | McCord, J.H. Copy of General Enoch H. Crowder's letter refusing his promotion to District and Local boards. 15 July 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | J.H. McCord wrote to the Local and District Boards and informed them of Crowder's refusal of promotion and praised him for the act. This document is part of a collection compiled by Enoch Herbert Crowder, the Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri native who served as Judge Advocate General. Crowder devised the Selective Service Act in 1917 which drafted America's forces during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | Crowder, E. H. (Enoch Herbert), 1859-1932; Promotions, Military; United States. Army--Promotions. |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I; Selective Service Act of 1917; Selective Draft Act |
| Site Accession Number | C1046 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | July 15, 1918 |
| Language | English |