October 16, 1967

Miss Bridget Fox

30 Grover Lane

East Northport

New York 11731

Dear Miss Fox:

I share the concern that you express in your letter of 6 October to me.

I am very strongly opposed to the war in Vietnam. I think that it is an immoral and evil war, and that every American should be ashamed of his country and his national leaders.

You ask why so many thousands of young men are being drafted and immediately sent over to Vietnam and why the reserves are not called to active duty.

The answer is that it is not politically expedient for the reserves to be called to active duty. The members of the reserves are, as you point out, trained soldiers, who have enlisted into the service. It would be much more in accordance with the spirit of free enterprise for these men to be fighting the war in Vietnam than for young men to be drafted, mainly against their will, and forced to go to Vietnam to murder other young men, as well as women, old people, and children.

However, the members of the reserves are much more important and politically powerful than the immature young men who are being drafted. they would almost certainly raise objections to being sent off, with a large possibility of being killed or seriously injured in Vietnam.

Moreover, President Johnson is supervising an unconstitutional war. By political trickery he has succeeded in getting the country deeply involved in a terrible war without ever having allowed the Congress of the United States to debate the question about whether or not war should be declared. Article VIII of the Constitution states that Congress has the power to declare war. President Johnson has been subverting the Constitution, and continues to do so. If he were to ask Congress to call the reserves to active duty, the debate would no doubt take place, and he is not willing to have this important matter debated in Congress.

Sincerely,

Linus Pauling

LP: jj