Letter to William S. Kenyon from General Enoch H. Crowder - September 16, 1918

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September 16, 1918. Honorable William S. Kenyon, United States Senate. My dear Senator Kenyon: I appreciate the kindly thought and personal interest back of your note of September 12. It touches upon a matter which lies nearest to my heart. By way of realizing my ambition for field service, I applied more than a year ago, August 1917, for a command of one of the many divisions I was creating through the selective draft. All I desired was an equal opportunity with the others to prepare a division for France. This opportunity was denied me. I did not revive the matter until the rumor became current that we contemplated an expeditionary force to Russia; then I took the [m.s. illegible: 1 wd] up direct with the Secretary of War. I urged upon him the view that the problem in Russia would be both a fighting and a reconstruction problem, and primarily the latter; that, from the point of view of practical experience on the side of reconstruction, I had about all the experience that could be found in the United States Army, due to my detail to administer military government in both the Philippines and Cuba; that, being a graduate of West Point with fifteen years; service in the line, four years on the General Staff, and a tour of observation of the Russo-Japanese War, commencing at the Yalu and ending at Mukden, I felt I had an even chance with the others to qualify for the fighting part of a command. Again the decision went against me. I have hitherto addressed superior authority on the side of argument. I do not think it would do to ask the assignment as a favor and I therefore cannot take advantage of the offer you make to be of assistance. I must leave the decision with my military superiors. I do not want to go to the theatre of war in any