| Summary: | In the first letter, written January 3, 1916, Mr. and Mrs. Barnes ask Bankhead not to support the proposed selective service legislation, "which the jingoes and newspapers are urging upon Congress". In the second letter, written January 6, Bankhead assures the couple that he is "opposed to any extreme measure" and does not believe the United States will be involved in the current fighting overseas: "I do not see the necessity for a great army in this country, but would be willing to see the navy reasonably increased, as on that arm of defense we must depend largely in case of trouble. I do not anticipate any trouble with foreign power for many years to come, if ever, and I shall be very slow to advocate any extreme policy of preparedness." The Selective Service Act, which required men from ages twenty-one to thirty to register for military service, was passed in May 1917. At the time these letters were written, Bankhead was representing Alabama in the United States Senate. A transcript for the first letter is included.
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