Lieutenant Colonel John J. Wigmore letter to General Enoch H. Crowder - April 26, 1918
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April 26, 1918. Memorandum for Major-General Crowder from Lt. Colonel Wigmore Subject: Deferment of Skilled Men in Limited Numbers on General Call of May 25, for 230,000 Men. On so large a general call, the deferment of skilled men shortly to be needed on special calls for the Staff Corps is highly desirable, if it can be effected (1) with accuracy, (2) in limited quantities, (3) with simple mechanism. The following plan will obtain such results. It is not feasible, by the use of the Industrial Index. One condition only is necessary, viz., that the Operations Committee of the General Staff shall first succeed in obtaining from the Staff Corps, a definite and early statement of their actual needs during the next sixty days, specifying kinds and quantities of men. The lack of such information is the only obstacle. Colonel Rees has promised to overcome it. If overcome, the plan is feasible. If not overcome, no effective plan is feasible, because of course we cannot effectively defer unless we know what kind of men and how many of them ought to be deferred. Assuming that condition, the plan is as follows: If the General Staff, at the time of notifying the Provost Marshal General of a general call for the Line needs, or within ten days thereafter, notifies also of the kinds of occupations imperatively needed for the Staff Corps within 60 days (giving no quantities), the Provost Marshal General
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appearing on Forms 3006, it will set aside and defer them, for that general call only (not reckoning them on its quota of the general call). After induction of the quota on the general call, Local Boards will then wire their summaries of referred men in each occupation to the State Adjutant General, who will wire totals to the Provost Marshal General. These totals are then reported to the General Staff, which has by that time figured its wants for the next 60 days in quantities with reference to Camps. The Provost Marshal General then allots these quantities, including amounts above reported by convenience of Camp locations so far as possible, and then issues special calls for the quantities of occupational men. As soon as such special calls are filled, the deferments made on the general call expire automatically. The same process can be repeated on the next general call; thus preparing the way, at each general call, for the adequate filling of the ensuing special calls for the Staff Crops. The advantages of this plan are: (1) Accuracy of result, by not gathering in an excess of one kind of men and a deficit of another kind, which is the special defect of the practice hitherto obtaining. (2) Unimpairment of the general call, in that only a small fraction of the men in the occupation are set aside, and the Local Boards fill their quotas easily by reason of the small number deferred. (3) Deferment is only temporary, until the next special call gathers them in, and then the deferment of the remainder expires. (4) Simplicity of operation for Local Boards, who find on Form 3006 the exact men for deferment designated by order and serial numbers. Lt. Colonel, J.A., N.A. JHW-sbm
Details
| Title | Lieutenant Colonel John J. Wigmore letter to General Enoch H. Crowder - April 26, 1918 |
| Creator | Wigmore, John H. |
| Source | Wigmore, John H. Letter to Enoch Crowder. 26 April 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | Lieutenant Colonel John J. Wigmore wrote General Enoch H. Crowder about his proposition to defer skilled laborers to the Army. 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; United States. War Department |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| 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 | April 26, 1918 |
| Language | English |