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United States Senate,
COMMITTEE ON RULES.

June 28, 1918.

His Excellency
Honorable T. W. Bickett,
Governor of North Carolina,
Raleigh, N.C.

My dear Governor:

I am in receipt of your highly esteemed favor of the 26th instant expressing to me your sentiment and what in your opinion is the sentiment of the people of North Carolina in regard to extending the operations of the Selective Service Law to young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one and also between the ages of thirty-one and forty-five.

I thank you for this information and fully agree with you as to the sentiment of the people of the State in this respect. I have made up my mind as to the matter of extending the draft age limit at this time and shall not vote for any amendment to draft young men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-one unless it is absolutely necessary.

I am rather inclined to agree with you that we should pass an amendment requiring all unmarried men between the ages of thirty-one and forty-five to register and be given the same status as single men under the present law, and that all married men between the said ages of thirty-one and forty-five, who are steadily engaged in some useful occupation, should not be subject to military service under the law.

I thank you, Governor, for your kindness in informing me as to the sentiment of the people of our State in regard to these matters. I always desire as far as I can to respond to the sentiment of the people of my State, and there is no better way to get that sentiment than through the great Governor of a great State. I always welcome such communications with appreciation.

Sincerely yours,

Lee S. Overman

Amendment extending draft age from 18 to 45 & 20 to 40 voted down today by a very large majority.