New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-06-27
Hot Fight Ends in Failure
to Provide $50 a Month
for Families.
SHERMAN DEMANDS
WAR DECLARATION
All Reference to Emergency
Stricken Out, and Draft Bill
Then Is Passed.
fFron The Tribune Buretu.1

ond time within a few months friends
of the National Guard fought bitter
fight in the Senate to-day for spec al
pay privileges for the militiamen, but
when the rollcall came the Senate
voted, 45 to 30, against giving tho
families of miiitiamen $50 month in
addition TO the soldiers pay.
This was the main point a. issue in
the bill drafting the militia into the
Federal service. When the measure
came up for final passage there were
no votes against it.
As it now stands, the bill exempts
from the draft those militiamen with
dependent families, who ask exemption,
but grants those with families who do
go no privileges not enjoyed by the
regulars.
The Senate struck out, on motion
of Senator Clark, Of Wyoming, all
reference TO the emergency" because
of which the militiamen were being
drafted As Secretary OF War Baker
specially requested Chairman Hay OF
the House Military Affairs Commit
tee to insert the clause mentioning an
emergency" surprise was caused
when Chairman chamberlain Of the
Senate committee agreed to the
amendment without argument
Emergency" Stricken Out.
No sooner had the word emergency
been erased, however, when Senator
Sherman, of Illinois. tried to insert q
declaration of war in it's place. This
was laid on the table after a bitter
personal exchange between the Illinois
Senator and Chairman Store Of tie
Foreign Relations Committee.
81 am weary with this quibbling over
words" Senator Sherman declared in
support of his amendment. I'VE pirate
about an emergency, when every one
knows that war exists. Our soldiers
are shot down in ambush, and we talk
of an emergency. Senator'S, do you
know what you are here for? Do you
know what your duty is? IL IS our
sovereign duty to declare war. Months
ago | introduced a resolution provid-
ing that a sufficient number of vol un-
teers should be raised. If that had
been done then and that army drilled
and equipped we would be ready now
instead OF being in this disgraceful
condition.
what is the situation now? General
Pershing is hundreds of miles south OF
the border, surrounded by a hostile
force, which has ordered that he move
only due north. He has not sufficient
men TO guard his lines Of communica-
ton. The militia has been called out,
but are there supplies for it? No. Are
there horses for the cavalry OF the
militia? No. Are there horseshoers
who will keep the horses shod-lust as
necessary as to keep the infantrymen
in shoes? No. Are there machine guns
or aeroplanes? No.
"Three months ago, after the muir
ders at Columbus, when our machine
guns refused TO work, II might have
been thought that something would be
done about supplying our troops with
efficient machine guns. But in all that
three months, with all that ample
warning, there has not been a machine
gun or an aeroplane added 10 our equip
ment. The Administration is just
laundering along, hoping that the usual
luck Of the country will pull it through
without mishap."
"Politics," Stone Retorts.
"The Senator from Illinois has COM
planned that instead of asking for &C
ton on his resolution calling for vol
unteers for intervention | twitted him
upon his lack of military knowledge"
said Senator Stone. 81 might twit him
now on his lack of parliamentary
knowledge in proposing a declaration
of war as an amendment TO resolu-
ton. But ! will do the Senator the
Justice to assume that he knew better
and that he merely proposed his amend.
ment for the sake "a making a political
harrangue. | suppose his ears are still
tingling with the political huzzas Of an
employed gallery at the Chicago con-
vention, where he was a candidate for
the Presidential nomination"
Senator Gallinger interrupted with a
point of order, and Mr.. Stone moved to
lay the Sherman amendment on the
table
Senator Sherman declared he was
able to take care of himself, but the
motion TO table deprived him of the
right to speak further.
objection to the use of the word
draft" as applied 70 the militia by
Senator Curtiss, Of Kansas, who said IL
should be termed call" so as 70
avoid humiliation of the guard, was
overruled by large vote. Senator
Chamberlain pointed out that draft
was used to comply with the language
in the original Hay army reorganiza'
tion bill.
Friends OF the militia were led BY
the same men who fought TO kill the
volunteer army provision, and whose
failure in the Senate was thus turned
into victory.
Special champions Of the $50 a month
provision we're Senators Reed, of Mis-
souri,; Lewis, Of Illinois; Lee, of Mary.
land; Cummins, of Iowa, and Hitchcock
of Nebraska OppositiOn to this prO.
vision was led by Senator's Chamber.
/ lain, chairman Of the committee; VIII.
Jams. of Mississippi. and Thomas, OF