I heard your address at Lumberton two or three weeks ago, and after hearing you explain the Selective Draft I understood that if a man was engaged in farming or some industry in which he could by remaining at his work render a greater and more needed service to his Country, that he would be left to continue such work, at least for another year until the need for men became more urgent.

Also in reading what I have read relative to the Selective Draft I have had the same understanding about it. Then too, my Questionare was to that effect also.

In filling out my questionare I asked to be put in the deferred classes on agricultural grounds, as I really and honestly thought that by remaining on the farm and growing food crops I could render a more necessary service to the Country. I have not begun raising food crops just since our Country came into the war, but I quit cotton and tobacco two years ago, and for the past two seasons I have not planted a hill of either cotton or tobacco on my individual farm, and have planted less than (5%) five per cent of the whole farm (70 acres) of which I am manager to cotton and no tobacco at all, and since our country has gotten into the war I have done all I could to encourage our farmers to grow foodstuffs. It seems that our farmers are going wild about tobacco this year and it looks now like that if conditions are favorable to it, that there will be the largest acreage planted to tobacco in our county (Robeson) in its History. Certainly I have never seen such a large amount of effort put forth toward this end. It seems that as our country is so urgently in need of food, that a law should be passed to prevent a large tobacco acreage being planted, as tobacco will require so much capital and labor to make and harvest the crop. I am enclosing an article which I wrote to the Robesonian, Lumberton, N.C., and which was published in the issue of Jan. 21st 1918. This expresses my views relative to growing of food crops.

I remember seeing an article some time ago of something that happened at the beginning of the war in England. It stated that at the beginning of the war that between 2000 and 3000 Brittons who were trained Mechanics rushed to the colors as volunteers, and that since that time they had been needed much more to work as Mechanics. Now, I am not saying this because I am a farmer, but I fear that it will be a mistake to call those farmers at the beginning of the war who have made a study of growing food crops and who are willing to devote their whole time to such crops. If I had been a man who like most of our young men are doing in planting all of their crop to tobacco and cotton and making nothing in the food line to help out, I would not have asked to be put in the Deferred Classes on agricultural grounds, and even now, if those in authority think that I can better serve my Country at the battle front, than I can serve it in growing food crops as a farmer, then I have but one will, and that is to serve where I am most needed.

I may state there that I am a Christian, and have the utmost confidence in Woodrow Wilson’s ability to direct the affairs of our country in this critical time and I have no criticism to make of him- will only say that the way he has managed everything and tried so much and so hard to stay out of this war, even suffering insults and humiliation in his efforts to keep our Nation out of this war- I say that his thoroughly Christian way of directing and managing the affairs of our country has touched my heart as it seems nothing else could have done, and, now my only desire is to put my services on the alter of my Country and to be used in the place and manner in which I can do the most good.

I believe that if Roosevelt and a few others who have undertook to criticise our President in his way of directing the affairs of our country, had only spent half of their time in praying as Woodrow Wilson has done that God might direct the affairs and give our President wisdom to rule and lead our country through this critical period- I say if they had done this instead of criticise, I believe our whole country would be in unity and its full strength.

Please pardon me for this, here, but I wish to at this time to express to you my appreciation to you in that you so nobly stood in the interest of our common farmers and supported the Bill to do away with the crop lien system. I regret that Robeson’s representatives were merchants and voted against the bill,- and they both claim to be Christian men too. They not only voted to try to defeat this Bill, but one of them who is both farmer and merchant introduced a bill known as the “Compost Bill” which if it had passed would have made it unlawful for a tenant to take his stable manure with him if he should move. This man has several tenants, and I truly believe that his only motive was to pass a law whereby he could hold all of the stable manure belonging to his tenants.

Personally, I have nothing against these men. They have always treated me nicely, but I am by them, as Woodrow Wilson some years ago told a delegation of Boston Negroes who were before him to ask his support in some matter, and as the President was not catering to their wishes as fast as they desired, their spokesman began to lose his temper, and told President Wilson that they were not coming to him as objects of charity, but that they came as Christian Citizens, whereupon Woodrow Wilson told them that those who claimed to be Christians must come in the Christian spirit.

But before I close I wish to state the variety and value of the food crops which I grew last season. They were as follows

Fruit $350.00
grain 300.00
Peas & beans 370.00
Potatoes 125.00
Pork 450.00

I mean we had this much to sell beside allowing for our own use. Now there are some farmers in our County who instead of having $1595.00 worth of food crops to spare will have to buy this amt. and in some cases more than this and therefore instead of being a help to our Country in such a time of its sore need will rather, on the other hand be a real burden.

I am stating these things to you for your consideration, and ask that you not consider anything that I have said in any view to doing me a favor as a friend, but that you will if you think I can serve my country to a greater advantage where I am another year, I respectfully ask that you will write the Exemption Board of which T. L. Johnson is Chairman Lumberton, N.C. to that effect.

I will refer you to any farmer in our section or to any merchant of Fairmont N.C. or to the Bank of Fairmont as to my reliability and the truth of my statements relative to the kind of crops that I grow and the value of same.

If you cannot do anything more under the circumstances, as you do not know anything about the truth of my statements, I would appreciate it if you would write Mr. T. L. Johnson and tell him to look into the truth of my statements and act accordingly as the law requires.

I am not asking any special privileges and do not expect any, but I have just received my card and note that I have been placed in division “a” of Class I, which means that I shall, if it is not changed be among the first to be called into service right away.

I am not a slacker, for I shall, if called and the authorities think it best, go, and go willingly, believing that God will give us victory in our cause for the right.

I am 24 years old and have always lived and worked on a farm.