Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder from Morris Sheppard - August 12, 1918
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August 12, 1918. Personal My dear General Crowder:- I take pleasure in handing you herewith letter of appreciation from the chairman of Local Board No. 2, Fort Worth, Texas. I think he here bespeaks the sentiment of practically all other members of local and district boards throughout the State of Texas. Yours very sincerely, Morris Sheppard Maj. Gen. E. H. Crowder, The Provost Marshal General, Washington, D.C.
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Personal Fort Worth, Texas, August 6, 1918. Hon. E. H. Crowder, Provost Marshal General, Washington, D.C. Sir: A circumstance which has just reached the knowledge of Local Board #2 of this City, of which I have the honor to be chairman, emboldens me to express on my own behalf and that of my associates our grateful thanks and profound appreciation. The feeling which moves us grows only the more deep and enduring when, in connection with the action on your part which it concerns, we learn that the modesty of your nature and your innate freedom from ostentation and parade, prompted you to hide away from public notice this noble and generous act and shroud it in the silence of private confidence. You will probably have realized that what I have in mind is that fine self-abnegation which provoked your refusal of a great and signal honor offered to you as a testimonial by your countrymen because, with this mark of gratitude toward yourself as the administrative head of the Selective Service Law, there failed to go any fitting token of appreciation for the humbler workers, the district and local boards and medical advisory boards throughout the land whose labors had assisted you in carrying this great experiment to triumphant success. As one of those who have given unstintedly of time and strength that the country
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[Page 2] friends and associates. It is but too common, in hours of national triumph, that those who have borne the responsibility of office reach forward selfishly for the crown and laurel, arrogating to themselves alone the credit and glory of the achievement. Human experience has taught us to expect this. How then may we rightly characterize this unprecedented attitude on your part, which, so far from seeking, actually thrusts aside these emblems of honor because they who made the triumph possible have not been appropriately recognized. You will believe, I am sure, that these words spring from no sense of slight, either on my part or the part of my fellow workers. We should have felt it to be only customary, and quite in accord with traditional practice, that the need of praise and the palm of victory should go to you as the inspiration and administrative genius of the whole Selective System, and we should not have taken it amiss that the less conspicuous workers who had sacrificed so ungrudgingly time and strength and means, and often times health itself, in thrice-racking and utterly exhausting labor, should find their reward only in the secret sense of duty done and the silent approval of their own consciences. I should not desire, indeed, to intrude thus upon your time and attention if the feeling that moves me were other that one of pure and unalloyed pleasure at the spectacle of an action which is regal in its challenge to our respect and admiration. I wish that your beautiful and unselfish act might be known broadcast, and carried by every wind that blows to the war-rent nations, for it would be a symbol of the things for which America stands and a sign to the wearied people battling for freedom and for an enduring peace of justice and good will that what America professes to the ears of mankind is at once an echo of a sentiments she feels and a prophesy of deeds she will perform. I am in the Service with you, General Crowder, my whole heart and soul. My only child, a lad of only 18 years, when the Flag called him, more than 15 months ago, is doing his full duty on the battle front of France. May God help you in your every effort to make the world safe for Democracy. Sincerely yours, Brown Havwoody Chairman, Selective Service Board #2. Fort Worth, Texas.
Details
| Title | Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder from Morris Sheppard - August 12, 1918 |
| Creator | Sheppard, Morris |
| Source | Sheppard, Morris. Letter to General Enoch H. Crowder from Morris Sheppard. 12 August 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | In this letter from Morris Sheppard, chairman of the committee of the census for the United States census, to General Crowder, Sheppard included a letter of appreciation from the chairman of Local Board Number 2 in Fort Worth, Texas, Brown Havwoody. Havwoody expressed his appreciation for General Enoch H. Crowder's work in the administration of the Selective Service Law. 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--Law and legislation; World War, 1914-1918--Public opinion |
| 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 | n.d |
| Language | English |