Letter from Herbert Hoover to President Wilson - September 9, 1918
Transcript
Copy 9 September 1918. 1-H/G My dear Mr. President: There are something between 3500 and 4000 volunteers in the Food Administration giving practically their whole time, and approximately another 1500 paid staff. Of the large number that are subjects to the new draft some three or four hundred are absolutely indispensable, if we are to carry on the Department. The work has developed in complexity and difficulty, and to take away our principal men at the present time would practically crush the Department
Transcript
[page 2] own deferred classification, and I would say at once that the Food Administration would collapse under this rule. I, myself, do not ever intend to apply for exemption from this draft. I can see but one solution, and that is, that when the appropriate moment arrived, I could apply for deferred classification for the Staff in the Food Administration, and that you, in turn could see your way to give a positive direction to this list of men to remain in this Department during the war, as being the most effective service that they can do to the Nation. It does appear to me that the Government has got to go on behind the lines just as much as in the trenches, and the whole sense of selective draft is lost unless some sort of arrangement of this character can be arrived at. Faithfully yours, (Signed) H H His Excellency, The President of The United States, Washington, D.C.
Details
| Title | Letter from Herbert Hoover to President Wilson - September 9, 1918 |
| Creator | Hoover, Herbert |
| Source | Hoover, Herbert. Letter to President Wilson. 09 September 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this letter, Herbert Hoover wrote President Wilson about the volunteer labor in the Food Administration, and how the workers should be exempted from the draft in order to keep the institution running. 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; Draft; Draft--Law and legislation; Hoover, Herbert, 1874-1964; U.S. Food Administration; World War, 1914-1918--War work; Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924 |
| 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 | September 9, 1918 |
| Language | English |