The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-04-23
Battle in Both Chambers to
Begin in Earnest
To-day.
MAY END THIS WEEK
Sentiment for Conscription
Grows Steadily in
Congress.
WEST AND SOUTH CHANGE
Support Of President Demand
ed by People in Mes
sageS.
WEST AND SOUTH CHANGE

WASHINGTON. April 22.-rne battle
FOR conscription will be on in earnest In
Congress tomorrow. II is possible tina.
the outcome may be decided by the end
OF this week. The difficulty lies mainly
with the Senate. where the length OF
debate is uncertain.
The fight has already begun in the
Senate. where there was brief ssir-
mish Of debate on Saturday To-rnor-
row the contest will be started in the
House. where the final vote will probably
he taken late Wednesday or early Thurs
day, when the measure, substantially as
drafted By Secretary Baker and APP
proved by the General Stan, will be
passed.
The compromise volunteer provision
written into the Administration plan by
a narrow majority OF the House Com
mittee on Military Affairs against the
protest of the President and expert
military advisers of the Government will
/ he rejected. Administration leaders
claimed tonight margin OF 20 to Is
votes. Similar action will be taken by
the Senate when the test comes. The
retarding influence OF parliamentary
discussion Tonight appears TO be all that
lies in the way OF the accomplishment OF
the Presidents purpose,
Limited Debate in House.
! In the House debate will be limited
! By general agreement to eighteen hours
before the bill is taken up FOR amend
. ment under the five minute rule. This
! time vii be evenly divided between
, Chairman Dent of the Military Affairs
! Committee and Representative Kahn.
I California. the Republican member Of
the committee. who will lead the fght
, for the Presidents seleccve conscrip-
ton plan.
! chairman pert one OF the twelve
members o. the committee VINO turned
: the Preslden, down and coauthor "!'n
: Representative Ar:hooy OF Kansas OF
/ an amendment requiring that the FoIu';
! teer system be tried out before resort Is
4 made to selective draft. will open the de-
bate for the majority measure. he proc
ably will be followed by Representative
3 NrEenzie of Illinois. Il Republican MEM
ber OF the committee who signed the
/ minority report after having been won
over from the voluntary forces BY the
strength Of the arguments for conscr'p-
ton. Representative Kahn VII! sum UP
for the Presidents bill "Wednesday al
ternoon.
or the nine hours allotted 70 MI
Kahn the larger portion has peeh oea''
out TO members on both sides O! the
aisle who will support the President
conservation plan. With the exception
of ,hs members who signed the minority
/ renort and who will consume ABOUT
! thirty minutes each. few members have
been able to obtain more than ten OF
hf,,en minutes from the conscr,ption
side so great has been the demand
! MANY will have to content themselves
with the time available under the hNe
minute rule.
Sentiment for COnarriptton.
Informal discussions to-day showed
continuation of the strong sentiment III
Congress toward the conscriptioh pan.
This first made Itself apparent among
southern members whose constituencies
have insisted that the support OF the
President Is a greater and more vital
issue than conscriptiOn or the volunteer
system AS was true OF the armed SNIP
hiu and the war resolution. this IN
sis,ence and respect for party fealty are
making many votes for the President.
From the middle West the Presioeh'
is gradually recruiting strength Tor the
conservation plan. Many members IRON
nacifist votes are holding back. but the
hackare set In the districts OF many al
those who voted against the war reso'
luton has had salutary effect upor
the sentimental insistence OF many tha'
: the volunteer system be tried first
The majority report made public BY
chairman Dent yesterday also hal
|, nroyed a source Of strength to the con
scr,ntion forces. Beyond asserting tina
tho majority bill leaves the choice o.
corscription or voluntary enlistment en-
,Irely to tho discretion Of the President
no attempt Is made to Justify or ex
nlain the choice Of the majority OF I'M
! committee.
1he weakness Of this report. which
! sho,ld furnish the battle-ground oil
which friends of the volunteer sys
ten, would be expected to stand. leave
members without a reply to the stron'
: arguments advanced against the volun
, teer system in the minority report.
.. I, is suggested that Chairman Den
and several OF his colleagues on IN
. COMMITTEES who voted against the Pres
Id.nt aid so with the understa ndins tina
they would vote their personal convic
!, tions and would not aggressively pres
!, their contention during debate on tn
, Hoor This suggestion Ia given colo
hv the nature OF the majority report
While Alabama Is a pacifist hotbed
would not be surprising II Chairman
Dent should either vote against hi
. own bill or vote present at the rol