The Hartford republican. (Hartford, Ky.) 18??-1926, 1918-10-11
< "ENOCH" CROWDER
FATHER OF DRAFT
ICareers OF Two Generals
Show Strange Parallels In
Military History.

NhoHiiik'piis WV Aslip'u
the name signifies dedication.
Enoch II. Crowder. major general,
u. S. A. provost marshal general and
judge advocate of the American army
and the Genius of the Draft, has dedi-
Gated himself to making this country
the greatest military power on the
face of the earth.
lie is the man whose hand before
next summer will have reached into
four million American homes and
taken from them their best young
men for the army.
To the close study which he has
made of CONSUMPTION since 1883 is
due the entire credit for the success
of the first, the second and now the
third draft of Americas manhood.
Where He Got The Idea.
When General Crowder was jun
Tor lieutenant at an obscure army
post in Texas in 1888 he CHANGED up
on a copy of the old Civil War draft
yegulations.
lie read them over, first out of Gu
riosity. Then he began to think how
those rules could have been made
more just and equitable.
Gradually he evolved his ideas of
how draft should be run and with
the idea came the conviction that
some day in this country there would
be the need OF a great army, and that
this army would be raised, not from
volunteers but by process of selec-
ton from the total man power OF the
country.
Meanwhile Crowder was advancing
in the army step by step.
BAKER GIVES HIM CREDIT.
When the United States entered
the war General Crowder was the one
man in the army who was ready to go
before Congress with concrete sug-
gestion for the framing of a selective
draft law.
The result has been that where in
the Civil War the draft riots and gen
eral public resentment at the unfair
ness of the law resulted in only 49,
347 men being indicted into the army
out of total of nearly 500. 200 men
drafted the law which was prepared
almost entirely by General Crowder
has been administered almost without
n complaint.
Crowder himself disclaimes all
credit for the draft law, but Secretary
of war. Baker has said:
mo one knows so well as ! to
whom we are indebted for the selec-
tive service law in all its bearings. its
conception as well as its complex ad
owe the most in this respect is Grow
der"
Careers Have Parallels.
The careers of Generals Pershing
and Crowder have followed a remark
able parallel from the time of their
births.
They originated in adjoining coun-
ties in Missouri Lynn and Grundy
and are within year of the same
|age.
Both were appointed cadets at
West Point, Crowder going first.
Both were commissioned second
|lieutenants in the cavalry, and saw
|their first service together in the Ger
|onimo Indian campaign.
Lieutenant Crowder was detailed
bs instructor of military tactics at the
University of Missouri. Lieutenant
|Pershing received a similar assign
'ment at the University of Nebraska.
Both studied law and graduated
with, law degrees.
In the campaign against the Sioux
In the early nineties they were to-
,ether again.
Both served in Cuba and the Phil
|ppines, and both went as U. S. mill
airy representatives to Japan during
Ihe fusso-Japanese war.
Crowder was appointed major i'm
S95, when he was made judge advo-
late of the regular army, while Perish
Ing Jumped from captain to brigadier
General
Both now hold the maximum rank
Sossible by law to the offices they
kold-Pershing a full general and
t.o,,dar a n,ainr gpnpral the highest
hnk that can be held by an officer
|ttached to stan corps duty.