Letter from Joseph Irwin France to General Crowder - January 15, 1918

Transcript

Extracts from letter of Joseph Irwin France January 15, 1918. to General Crowder. My dear General Crowder: I have read with very great interest your report to the Secretary of War on the first draft under the Selective Service Act of 1917. I desire to congratulate you not only upon the splendid service which you have rendered in so successfully carrying through the great undertaking of making this first selective draft, but upon your Report, which shows so clearly your comprehension of all the great and varied factors which must be controlled if we are by orderly processes to bring the war to a successful conclusion. I note with special interest what you say in Chapter Nine, on The Future. It is with profound regret that I find that so few as yet comprehend war at the present time to be much more than a merely military undertaking. You have a proper comprehension of modern war and in this Chapter you make it manifest that it is your view that all of the processes which must be carried on to make the war a success are enmeshed with each other. In the very few minutes talk which I had with you with reference to the Selective Draft Bill before its passage, I expressed the view that it would be necessary, before the war was over, to put the whole country upon a military basis. My views upon this have not changed. The necessity for doing so becomes more apparent to me each day. Certain passages in your Report cause me to believe that you are carefully considering this problem. (Signed) Joseph I France.