Immediately after the enactment of the Selective Draft Law I called a meeting of the Council of State and we passed a resolution that the heads of the several State Departments would not ask for the exemption of State employees. To this resolution we have rigidly adhered. Of course you know that to any rule adopted there will arise an occasional exception where the enforcement of the rule would be in violation of its real spirit.

Such an exception is the case of Mr. Homer Peele who works in the Department of the State Treasurer. After many years of trial and experience the State Treasurer finds Mr. Peele to be absolutely indispensable to the proper conduct of his office. Mr. Peele knows the work of the office in every department, and is as faithful and reliable as he is efficient. The health of our Treasurer is not good at times as he has periodical attacks of asthma which make it necessary for him to be out of his office. On this account it is of supreme necessity for him to have a man in his office upon whose efficiency and reliability he can absolutely depend. Of course you understand that the very life of the State depends upon the orderly running of the Treasury Department.

Mr. Peele had an opportunity to go to the first Officers Training camp. Upon my advice and the advice of the Treasurer he did not take advantage of this opportunity. We told him that we thought it was his duty to stay at his present post. Subsequently he was twice offered positions in Government Departments at Washington where he would have been absolutely exempt from service and where the salaries paid are more attractive than the salary he now receives. Again, upon the advice of the State Treasurer and upon my advice, he declined these offers. In view of these facts I earnestly insist that Mr. Peele ought to be exempted upon the request of the State Treasurer from military service. The exceptional character of this case is evidenced by the fact that this is the only case where I have asked for an employee in a State department to be exempted.