APPENDIX D 



Two Letters on Unnecessary Rejections on Account of Deficiency 

 in Stature (New York Sun). 



To THE EDITOR OF THE SUN Sir: Evidence is not lacking that the 

 military-service rule requiring a height of 63 inches on the part of 

 applicants for admission is depriving Uncle Sam of the fighting 

 ability of thousands of young men who are eager to go to the front 

 and help the good cause. 



Why is it that the military authorities at Washington continue to 

 bewail a shortage of men of draft age for active service and threaten 

 to change the limit of the draft age from 31 to 40 years, when there 

 are thousands of young men of draft age, fine specimens of manhood 

 physically, mentally and morally, courageous and fearless, all anxious 

 to do their bit, and do it with a vim? 



With every branch of the service urging early enlistment, with 

 boys in the colleges enrolled for service just as soon as the emergency 

 arises, why, with all this, is a man of sound mind and healthy body 

 refused for the National Army because he happens to be less than 

 half an inch below the required height of 5 feet 3 inches? 



Take my case as an example : 



I am a young man, 31 years of age, a graduate of the College of 

 the City of New York, post-graduate student at New York University, 

 former athletic director of playgrounds, former principal of vacation 

 playgrounds, a man who has devoted fourteen years to athletic 

 pastimes, and has made a close study of athletic conditions and 

 methods. 



In addition, I also have had considerable military training both as a 

 member of a cadet corps and a member of the Newspaper Men's 

 Officers' Training Corps. I was one of the organizers of the latter. 

 I passed my physical and mental tests for the First Officers' Training 

 camp at Plattsbufg, except as to height, and although recommended 

 for admission, was rejected because I lacked the required height. I 

 tried to gain admission to the Second Officers' Training camp, but 

 again was turned down because I was too short. 



With two of my brothers in the service, one a first lieutenant in 

 the infantry, A. E. F., and the other in the balloon photographic 

 observation section of the Signal Corps, I was determined to try again 

 to enter the active service. I applied for admission to the Marine 

 Corps, but was informed by Lieutenant Gardner that the corps would 

 be glad to have me because of my special training and experience, but 

 that I was far too short for that branch of the service. 



I then applied at one of the recruiting stations of the Regular 

 Army and heard the same words repeated. That application was 

 filed before the height regulations were reduced last July, and I 

 finally decided to wait until called into the service through the draft. 



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