Courtney W. Hamlin to Woodrow Wilson

I beg to call your attention to a provision in the Act approved June 3, 1916 known as the Army Bill, which reads as follows:

AND PROVIDED FURTHER, That the President is authorized in his discretion to utilize the services of post-masters of the second, third, and fourth classes in procuring the enlistment of recruits for the Army, and for each recruit accepted for enlistment in the Army, the postmaster procuring his enlistment shall receive the sum of $5.00.

A similar provision applying to the Navy was approved August 29, 1916 in what was known as the Navy Bill. Of course you observe that the enforcement of these provisions is entirely in your discretion.

The public generally, did not know that the postmasters throughout the Country were authorized to receive money for their services in inducing young men to enlist in the Army and the Navy. But that fact is gradually becoming known and now that the selective draft has been provided for and is being made, I am receiving some very vigorous protests, and I may say angry protests, from men whom I know to be absolutely and enthusiastically loyal, against allowing postmasters this compensation. They say that now they are compelled, whether willing or not, to give their boys to the service of the Country and that they are more than willing to do this, but they do not feel that because a boy is loyal and patriotic enough to volunteer in either branch of the service, the postmaster at his home town should profit financially by reason of that fact.

In this protest I most heartily concur. Certainly, I know that that law was passed when the nation was at peace and yet the war clouds were in sight, indeed were ominous. Conscription had not been suggested and we all felt that every reasonable effort should be made to recruit the Army and Navy, but I am sure when your attention is called to it you will agree that, since we now have the selective draft, and when every man must do his bit, either willingly or unwillingly, Government employees, nor anyone else for that matter, should profit financially in the manner above mentioned.

Realising that it would be almost criminal to obtrude this matter upon your attention when you are over-whelmed with the multitudinous questions incident to present conditions, I addressed a letter, of similar import to this, to the Postmaster General on the 7th of last month and beyond a courteous reply, to the effect, that the Department was not responsible for the enactment of this law and that the payments to the postmasters were not made by that Department, and a further statement that your attention had already been directed to this matter, I have heard nothing.

Feeling that the criticism to which I have referred, is just and that some action should be taken to stop any further collections on the part of postmasters throughout the Country under these provisions, and realizing that to wait to repeal the law would be too slow and that you not only have the authority to correct this condition, but that you will do so when your attention is called to it; and asserting my entire loyalty to you and your administration, without any reservation, in the great conflict that is now on, is my excuse for calling your attention to this matter in this way.