The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1918-08-07

by reason of the war. And l added
that it might be in the interest of hui
| manity for the United States to with
| hold all war supplies, including bread,
to the belligerent nations, except to
to starve out the war.
This statement was made purely in
| the interest of all humanity and not
in the interest Of any particular ma
| ton, and l make no apology for any
| thing that have suggested in the in
terests of suffering people,
l am charged with attempting to OBJ
struct the passage of the CONSUMPTION
act by suggesting to congress that we
continue the volunteer system. 1 did
send a telegram to Washington. An
American can well afford to support
the volunteer system. The Continent
al army was made up of volunteers.
Paul Revere did not conscript the
men that he called. The army of 1872
was made up of volunteers. The men
who went to the Mexico war were VOL
unteers. The men who responded to
the call of Lincoln from this state
were ninety per cent volunteers The
volunteer soldier gave us our freedom
In the revolution, and saved the Union
in the sixties. The men who responded
to the call Of Mckinley in the Spanish
American war were volunteers. l saw
no good reason why 1 should despise
the volunteer system. / cannot be I'M
grateful to system that has done so
much for my country.
| Congress passed selective draft
act and when it became a law, l ac-
cepted it as the will of the govern
ment and proceeded to administer it
to the best OF my ability. That we have
been successful in the administration
OF it is proven by the following state
ments from General Crowder:
| Telegram of June %, 1911 have
come to expect the impossible of Wis
consin."
Letter of September 7, 1917-This
suggestion will receive the earnest
consideration to which anything
emanating from you to this office is so
highly entitled"
| Letter Of November Z, 1917 =
The wonderful administration of the
seiective service law which | have so
often noted in Wisconsin,"
| Letter of November 20, 1917-We
have had constant occasion to place
| Wisconsin at or near the head of our
lists in nearly every step that has
been taken in the execution of the Sc
lective service law
| Letter of January 10, 1881 am
sure that your own spirit in this work
has been communicated to members of
local and district boards and to other
persons in your state charged with
the administration of the selective
service law and that this is the secret
of the splendid work which has been
done in Wisconsin"
Letter of February Is, 1918-The
rapid progress in the dispatch of cases
by your district boards has given great
satisfaction to this office and has en-
| abled us to feel that pace has been
set by which We can justly estimate
the progress Of other boards The ex-
act and systematic methods which
have been employed in your district
boards are much appreciated. In this
stage Of our military operations, when
so much depends upon Inducing new
men promptly into the army and al
lotlng them to their appropriate
places, every days speed gained by
the selective service boards in dis
patching their work means a day
gained in the operations of the army
and speedier termination of the war.
| Letter OF March Is, 1918-This Of
flee is keenly appreciative of the per-
sonal interest taken by you in this
work and desires to thank you for this
further evidence of your efficient ad-
ministration of Tie selective service
act in the state of Wisconsin,"
Letter Of March 20, 1918-Efforts
nave been made to have the various
states undertake this work Central
purchase OF supplies) as it is impos-
slDle to control this question at this
time from Washington. memoran-
dunn shown How Wisconsin Does It.
| will be issued shortly"
The government has made use of the
| volunteer system since the beginning
| OF the war. The navy has been manned
entirely by that system, and recruit
ing offices have been open all over the
country, and up to two months ago
we mad as many volunteers in the
army as we had selective men. do
not know how the comparison stands
today. The fact is that experience has
demonstrated that the two systems
worked admirably together. The vol
| unteer system is the better system for
! quick action, and for men for special
service
The selective draft system has the
advantage of giving the government a
better opportunity to protect economic
conditions. On the whole would not
! wish to abolish either system, if L
could have my own way.
Just what some of these wise men
who are today criticising me, knew
about it prior to the time the act was
put into force, remains to be explained
In fact most of them have had no ex-
perience with it even now Their talk
is mere political clap trap.
My opponents criticise me for wish
ing to retain the Wisconsin National
Guard in this state until fall. Their
statement is that I opposed sending
soldlers to southern camps. A man