The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1917-05-02
SE[ECT|VE DRAFT
MEASURE PASSES
\ Both Branches of Congress By Big
Majority-Some Minor DIFF.
ferences.

Washington, April 2s.-By an
overwhelming majority both the SEN
ate and house passed late tonight
the administration bill to raise war
army by selective draft. The final
roll calls brought into line behind
the bill many senator's and represen-
tatives who had fought for the vol
unteer system until routed by the
decisive defeat of volunteer amend
ments earlier in the day in both
houses.
The senate, which had voted down
the volunteer plan, 50 to 18, passed
the bill by 8 vote of 81 to 8. In the
house the vote against the volunteer
plan was 313 to 100 and that by
which the bill itself passed was 397
to "a.
AS passed by the senate the meas
urue provides for the draft Of men
between the ages of 81 and 27 years.
while in the house measure the age
limits are fixed at 81 and 40. This
and lesser discrepancies will be
threshed out in conference early
next week, so that the bill may be in
the hands of the president as quickly
as possible. The war department al
ready has completed plans for carry
ing it into effect.
Senator'S who voted against the
bill are: Democrats: Gore, Hardwick,
Kirby, Thomas and Trammell. Re-
publicans: Borah, Gronna, and La
Toilette. Total 8.
Senator Vardaman, Of Mississippi,
(Democrat) was excused from voting
at his own request. He did not give
. reason.
The representatives who voted in
the negative were: Republicans: Bo-
con, Hayes, King, La Toilette, Lun-
deem of Minnesota; Mason, Nolan,
Powers. Democrats: Burnett, Church
Clark of Florida; Claypool, Crosser,
Dill, Dominick, Gordon, Hillyard,
Huddleston, Keating, Sears, Sher-
wood, Sisson. Prohibitionist: Ran
dali. Socialist: London.
The senate approved an amend
ment by Senator Stone which would
definitely confne the operation of
the draft to the period Of the exist
ing emergency and another by Sen
ator New providing that hotwith-
standing exemptions each State
must furnish its quota in proportion
to its population. Chairman Cham
berlain accepted another amend
ment authorizing the president to
raise by voluntary enlistment or
draft, such Especial and technical
troops" as he deems necessary. Mr..
Chamberlain said this would apply
particularly to railroad aid other
workers of this character.
Both senate and house adopted
amendments just before the final roll
calls which would greatly increase
the pay of enlisted men during the
war. The house provision would
make their pay $50 month, and
that approved by the senate would
fix it at $29 a month. The present
pay is SIS.
In the house at the last moment
Chairman Fitzgerald of the appro-
priations committee objected vigor-
ously to the appropriation Of $3,-
O00,000,00O carried in the bill for
the expense of the new army, and
the section finally was eliminated.
MIR. Fitzgerald declared that to
place this vast sum in the hands of
the secretary of war would make of
congress "mere automaton" and
promised that if the section were
voted down the committee would
provide funds promptly in separ-
ate measure.
Among the amendments adopted
in the senate was one which would
permit Col. Roosevelt to recruit a
volunteer force for service in France
A similar proposal had been rejected
by the house. Speaker Clark, Demo-
cratic Leader Kitchin and Chairman
Dent of the military committee, who
had favored the volunteer system,
all voted for the draft bill on the
final roll call. Republican Leader
Mann aso was recorded in the af-
firmative as was Miss Rankin, who
previously had voted with the vol
unteer advocates.