Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-05-02
WAR ARMY BILL PASSED
SECOND TIME BY SENATE
Parliamentary Tanglc Cleared Away,
and Measure Is Ready for
Conference.
WILSON MAY SIGN THIS WEEK
La Follcttc's Substitute for Refer
cndIm Defeated, 68 to blouse
Sets Record for Quick Action in
Passing $3,OOO,OOO,O0O War Bill.
IIsy Associated Press, /


WASHINGTON. May l.--Confcrenccs
second time by the Senate to-day. prob
ably will not begin for several days.
Confcrccs of the Senate aud House will
meet tomorrow. They have the task
Of smoothing away differences over the
annual army appropriation bill. and
they will take up that task first.
Leaders hope TO soc both measures
completed in time to have President
Wilson attach his signature during the
present week
The Senate passed the war army bill
again to-day TO clear up parliamentary
tunglcs. without any serious effort to
revive the struggle over tho volunteer
system as opposed to the SelcCtivc draft
feature. Senator La Follettc's substi-
tutc. with "a referendum on raising an
army by draft Ia send to Europe. was
defeated. IS to T.
Principal points OF difference be
tween tho houses include tho So-callcd
Roosevelt volunteer amendment" in
tho Senate bill: tho difference in the
ages subject to sclcctivc draft. the
senate bill specifying those between
twcnty-onc and twcnty-scVcn and the
House twcnty-onc and forty. and the
Senate bilrs army prohibition section.
\ compromise is expected on tho age
limits. possibly fixing the minimum at
twenty-one and tho maximum at
thirty-fve. The House Representatives
probably never will accept the Eo"s"
welt amendment. which would permit
the former President to raise four in
fantry divisions for duty on foreign
soil
HOUSE SETS RECORD
For QUICK ACTION
Tho House set a record to-day for
quick action on major appropriations.
completing debate at single brief
session on an omnibus emergency war
bill carrying nearly S3.00o.00o,o0o. IT
will he passed tomorrow. probably
with only a few votes against il. No
opposition was voiced during the dis
cussion to-day. and tho only important
change made was in the adoption of
an amendment doubling the pay OF en-
listed men in the army.
Out OF a total of se.S27. 653.653 car
ricd by tho bill. S2.320,59l.907 is for
the military establishment. For the
navy S503,399.613 is provided. and the
remainder goes To other departments
for Scellaneous purposes, including
extraordinary expenses due to the war.
The military appropriation, which is
In addition TO the regular annual army
and fertilization bills, and the $4,000,
600. 900 proposed aS an initial appropria-
ton for the new war army. includes
Items of s23l.0Oo.0OO for clothing and
camp and garrison equipnge: $780,.
100000 for ordnance stores: s39.000.000
for automatic machine guns; 3.I50.0U0
for civilian training camps: S60s, o00,0 900
for coast and nsular fortifications. and
s4.320,0o0 for fortifying the Panama
Canal.
More than slc5, 100000 was added by
the amendment increasing tho pay Of
enlisted men from SIS to s3o "a month
proposal already accepted by both
Senate and House as part of the army
draft bill. but transferred to the APP
preparation measure to-day To ia cilitatc
final enactment.
In the aggregate of mtrc than $780,
100000 carried for the navy, are in
Guided items of Sill 900. 600 for aviation:
S1.ITS,000 for outfits for newly enlisted
men; $200.000.000 for the ordnance
bureau, including 60.00O,0uo FOR ship
ammunition: s3,000,OO0 for medical
stores and supplies. and more than
S2J.000.00O for the Marine Corps. in
Guiding s7.343,o0o for tho military
stores of that branch Of tho service.