Walter Lippmann to Woodrow Wilson

I have tried to say a little of what I feel about your address in the following words, which are to appear in The New Republic this week:“For having seen this (i.
E. that this is a war between democracy and autocracy) and said it, for having selected the moment when the issue was so clear, for having done so much through the winter to make the issue clear, our debt and the world's debt to Woodrow Wilson is immeasurable. Any mediocre politician might have gone to war futilely for rights that in themselves cannot be defended by war. Only a statesman who will be called great could have made America's intervention mean so much to the generous forces of the world, could have lifted the inevitable horror of war into a deed so full of meaning.”I would like to take the liberty of saying a few words to you about the military service recommendation: It seems to me absolutely essential to the success of the idea which you have in mind, that this country be spared the worst features of the war psychology, and they are raised more than anything else by a recruiting campaign. I would like therefore to suggest to you the following plan in order to work out the suggestion which you laid down:A register of all men of military age should be made as soon as possible. That register would of course give information as to their present occupation and alternate abilities. When that is done the government could decide which of the men were already employed in essential industries and which ought to be exempted from military service either because of their physical concdition or because of conscientious objections. Then the government might invite the remainder to volunteer, calling them in order by classes. The understanding would be that if by this voluntary method enough troops were not raised compulsion would be resorted to, but it seems altogether probable that a half a million men can be raised in this way. I do not know what practical objections can be raised against the plan, but the arguments in its favor are clearly obvious. It avoids the recruiting campaign; it avoids helter skelter volunteering and misuse of talent; it reatains the volunteer principle for the present; and it lays the foundations for compulsion if that should become necessary.
I am with very deepest regards,