The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1916-09-15
WANT FEDERAL
CONSUMPTION ACT
Write to Your Congressman and
Senator About the Joker in
National Defense Act

When President Wilson signed on
June 3rd the so-called National De
fense Act" sometimes called the Hay
Chamberlain act, he signed law
which provides, in time of war, for
the conscription of American citizens
between the ages of Is and As.
He didn't realize it at the time. At
least there is every reason to think
that he didn't. Certainly very few of
the congressman and senators who
voted for the army reorganization law
knew that there was a general con-
scription clase in it, slipped into the
law by Hayden of Arizona, clinched in
conference committee by Hay and
Chamberlain and unwittingly adopted
by both houses.
The American Union Against Mill
tarism has been endeavoring for the
past six weeks to persuade the admin
istration leaders frankly to recognize
the legislative fluke which has oc-
Cured and to get behind an act for
the repeal of the obnoxious clause, if
not at this session, at least at the
short session which opens in Decem-
Der. For this reason we have kept
silent, preferring to give the party in
power a chance to correct this ano-
malos situation free from pressure.
| That course has been only partly sue
cessful. At any rate the time has
come to acquaint the country with the
facts Bills will be introduced this
week for the repeal of the objection
able clause. These bills keep their
| legislative status at the next session.
Now is the time to pledge your sena-
tors and your congressman to the
prompt repeal of the clause when con-
gress meets next December.
When the Hay bill was reported out
to the house by the military affairs
committee it contained no provisions
whatever for conscription, unless the
technical provision permitting the
president to draft" the National
Guard into the federal service in
time of war be so considered. But on
Wednesday, March %, Chairman Hay
presented committee amendment"
which had been drafted, he said, by
Hayden of Arizona. This amendment
provided for the establishment of
reserve battalions" in time of war.
The reserve battalion" is an Eng
lish idea. When a regiment is sent
to the front, to be cut to pieces under
fire, a reserve battalion" is estab-
lished at the home depot to secure
recruits, train them and feed them to
that particular regiment at the front
as rapidly as they are needed. A SEN
sible scheme and in marked contrast
with the American plan which has
been to form all the new recruits into
new regiments, regardless of how
badly cut to pieces the older regiment
on the firing line may be. When the
veteran regiments in the civil war
were reduced to three and four hun
dred men the practice was to con-
solidate several regiments, producing
vast confusion in regimental records
and no end of jealousy mad friction
among the officers. aHyden's amend
ment would abolish all that.
But down in the middle of the sec
tion was the following clause:
"If for any reason there shall
not be enough volunteer enlist
ments to keep the reserve bat
talions at the prescribed strength,
a sufficient number of the un-
organized militia shall be called
into the service of the United
States to maintain each of such
battalions at the proper strength"
The ''unorganized militia" means all
male citizens, with certain specified
exemptions, between the ages of IS
and As. The whole section was read
Mr.. Hay made somewhat indefinite
explanation of the reserve battalion
idea; Minority Leader Mann quizzed
him little; then Hayden was called
upon. He made an enthusiastic
speech on behalf of the reserve bat
talon" idea, ignoring the conscription
feature in it. That closed the debate.
The amendment was put to vote and
carried viva vocey WHEN THE
BILL WENT TO THE CONFERENCE
COMMITTEE, WHERE MEETINGS
ARE SECRET AND WITHOUT OF
FICIAL RECORD. THE WORD