I have your favor of August 6th, and am very much pleased to have your views upon a proposed amendment to the Selective Service Act. I have heretofore been opposed to this Amendment, especially in so far as it proposes to reduce the draft age.

I am anxious to see the Bill itself, and to study all of its provisions, and your views, so well expressed in your letter, will be very valuable to me.

Of course, I will be in this position; that it will be claimed that it is necessary to win the war, and if so, I would unhesitatingly vote for an amendment of the kind proposed by the Secretary of War, and would feel that it was my duty; if not necessary to win the war I do not wish to further deplete the farms, and especially do I dislike the idea of taking the young boys from 18 to 21. I hope that the wisdom of Congress say work this out so as to secure ample man power without doing this.