Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder from Frank S. Dickson - January 25, 1918

Transcript

January 25, 1918. My dear General Crowder:- I have before me copy of your report to the Secretary of War on the First Draft under the Selective Service Act. I have read it with a great interest. I have many times, during the past weeks and months, felt strongly that I would like to write you a personal line voicing my sense of wonderment that out of nothing you had by a superior organizing ability and with a mental and physical persistence which has been truly marvelous, evolved entire machinery, the regulations for its use, which has resulted so wonderfully in placing at the disposal of the Government an Army to train. To those of us who have been intimately connected with the infinitely less important work of State Headquarters, and who have spent days and nights in trying to follow your magnificent lead in this stupendous work on your part, covering the whole United States, we cannot help being filled with wonderment that with all the complex situations in the broader field of forty-eight states instead of one, that you have been able, even physically, to accomplish such wonderful results. In all this work within the State, and in all the matters that have been taken up or referred to you from these headquarters, each and every one has been met not only with prompt action but with absolute fairness and extreme courtesy. As I said before in this letter, I have for a long time felt that I wanted to drop you this note of appreciation which, believe me, is very real and sincere, but I have felt that probably in the multiplicity of your broad duties that I might, in so doing, but trespass upon your time. Despite this fear, however, I am moved to send this to you to let you know both our sense of sincere admiration and deep appreciation. Sincerely yours, Frank S. Dickson Major General E. H. Crowder, Provost Marshal General, War Department, Washington D.C. D-Mc.