Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-04-07
VOTE ENDS
FOUR DAYS
OF DEBATE
Imports Summer
Training Camps to Be
in Effect 30 Days An
nually in Three Years
of Service


vote Of Sc to "a, rejecting Senator
Lees amendment to strike the section
from the bill.
The vote ended a four-day debate on
the section.
Advocates of the national guard as
the first line of defense behind the reg
ular army supported the amendment
vigorously and the struggle was one
of the hardest fought in the Senate
at this session Of Congress. 1t began
after the defeat of the military COM
mittee last week, when proposal to
create a national guard section of the
army general staff was written into
the bill.
| The narrow margin by which the
federal volunteer provision was re-
| tanned makes it doubtful that it will
| be in the measure finally framed by the
| conference committee between the two
| houses. An effort during debate on
the House army bill to insert this Sec
ton which is destined to provide such
a force as the continental army pro-
| posed by former Secretary Garrison,
was decisively defeated.
Republican Support
Without Republican support the VOL
unteer section would have been voted
out by the Democratic senators despite
| the fact that it was unanimously ap-
proved by the military committee.
Twenty four Democrats and 10 Repub-
licans including nearly all the Pro-
| gressive- Republicans, voted to strike
it out Nineteen Democrats and II
Republicans voted to retain it.
= The Vote
| The vote follows:
| Voting to eliminate the section:
Democrats-Ashurst,B ankhead, Clarke
| (Ark), Culberson, Gore. Hardwick,
Hughes, Kern, Lee (Md), Lewis, Mar
tin, Overman, Ransdelll, Reed, Rob-
| inson, Shafroth, Simmons. Smith (Ga),
Smith IS. c.. Stone. Swanson, Tag
CART, Thompson and Vardaman-24.
Republicans-Clapp, Cummins, Cur
tbs, Jones, Kenyon, McCumber, Norris,
Page, Sherman and Works-1O..
| Total "a.
| Voting to retain the section:
| DemOcratS-Beckham Broussard,
Chamberlain, Hitchcock. Hollis, Hust-
ing, johnson (Maine), johnson Is. d.,
Lane, Newlands. O'Gorman, Pittman,
Pomerene. Salisbury, Sheppard, Smith
(Md), Thomas, Walsh and Williams
lie.
Republicans-Borah. Brandegee, Ca
iron. Clark (Wyo). Dillingham;, Du-
pont, Gallinger, Lippitt, Lodge, Nelson.
Oliver Poindexter. Smoot, Sterling.
Sutherland, Warren and Weeks-17.
Total SO.
Charges Against Guard
The vote followed charges that the
National Guard organization through
out the country were conducting lob
by against the federal volunteer plan.
Senator chamberlain, chairman of the
military committee, warned the Senate
in the course Of the debate that if the
National Guard proposed to become
politically active and endeavor to in
fluence legislation as it had done in
this case he would in future oppose any
further federal aid for the state SOL
dierS.
Champions Of the Guard retorted
that the Military Training Camps As
ISOLATION had been equally active in
They pointed to the mass of kilograms
laid before the Senate today by Sena-
tor Chamberlain to sustain their con
tention. The struggle had little bear
ing upon the general question of pre-
paredness beyond the fact that advo-
Gates of the volunteer plan asserted it
was vital to any scheme to back up
the regular army with citizen soldiers
while opponents declared it would
serve only to disintegrate the Nation
al Guard. All senators who spoke on
the subject declared in favor Of pre-
paredneSs and many urged even more
liberal provisions for the regular army
and National Guard than the bill
makes. Others urged that the volun-
teer section be made stronger.
Analysis Of Section
! The section under dispute provides
for the organization by congressional
districts Of 261 900 federal volunteers
wholly under the control Of the Presi-
dent and for their training in peace
times under such regulations as the
President may prescribe. 1t was de-
signed to provide for summer training
camps similar to those held last year
at Pittsburgh, n. Y. and elsewhere and
also for the organization of volunteer
army units in country districts where
its members could spare time during the
summer for a month or more Of inten-
sive military training during each of
the three years Of their service with
! the colors.
80 Days Annually
An amendment accepted by the Sen
ate last week fixed 80 days annually az
the period of training. Senator Will
Jams has announced however that he
will offer a further amendment fixing
the maximum time at 80 days should
any unit be found able to devote that
amount of time to it's work Senator
Continued on Page 11-column 81