The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-28
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permanent national policy, the sys-
tenn of universal obligatory military
training and service for all our young
men.
"(2)-We should at the earliest
moment strike hard and aggressively
at Germany and this can be done only
by sending abroad at the earliest mo-
ment an expeditionary force. At least
a division should be put in France
within the next few weeks and then
put on the firing line as quick as the
allied generals say it is ready; and its
numbers kept filed, and as rapidly
as other divisions can be gotten ready,
they should be sent over beside it; IN
til without an hours unnecessary de-
lay we accumulate at the front a for
midable fighting army.
"(3)-To proceed at once to do ev-
erything for the upbuilding of the
navy, capital ships, submarines,
auXiliaries, cargo ships, everything.
Believes in Universal Service.
Remember that these needs should
be met at once. On the whole, the
worst folly that one can commit is to
refuse Immediately to tolerate a sys-
! tenn of universal, obligatory, military
training and service.
Rally to I. r. in Senate.
The Roosevelt division plan over
/ Swallowed all other issues in the senate
| today as the CONSUMPTION army bill
neared vote.
l In the last hours of debate three in
fluential senators threw their influence
in favor of the Harding amendment to
permit Roosevelt to recruit a VOlun-
teer division. They were Harding,
Lodge and John Sharp Williams.
Declaring this is not party war. it
is an american war;" Senator Lodge
made a vigorous speech in favor of the
Roosevelt division.
For heavens sake shouted the
veteran Massachusetts senator, lis
there any reason why he should not
be allowed to offer his life for what
he believes most sacred ?"
He declared Roosevelt was the only
man in the country who could raise
a division and that to do so would not
injure the principle of universal SER
vice.
Lodge dwelt upon the moral effect
of a former president leading Ameri-
can troops in Europe.
Million Traitors in America.
Senator Williams, Mississippi, one
of the presidents most loyal support
ers in either house, agreed with Lodge,
but asserted that while Roosevelt was
competent to command a regiment
he was not fitted to lead a division.
Harding pointed out that Roosevelt
did not necessarily desire to lead the
division.
In a scathing speech against pro-
GermaniSm, Williams declared there
are one million traitors in America
Il want to weed 'em out he said
| That's why l want CONSUMPTION. OF
the ten million German-Americans in
this country, probably nine million are
| loyal
Squelch Leftover Speech.
! As senate debating continued, a sec
ond fight was precipitated when, as
the clerk commenced reading the rest
of the bill, Sears of Florida, with the
assistance of L fellow member, tried
to get recognition to make a leftover
! speech. He was finally squelched.
In the house an amendment was
presented to make the CONSUMPTION a
plain draft proposition, eliminating
the "selective" feature for fear of
favoritism.
| Representative Mason, Illinois.
aroused the dormant volunteer pro-
ponents when, discussing the amend
ment, he said:
This amendment removes the coat
of sugar from the bitter pill of the
draft servitude. Jesus of Nazareth
on the cross was a volunteer. The
gentlemen on each side of Him were
conscripts."
| Il believe in universal service so
emphatically that I wish to include
/ myself ana the men VINO are anxious
to come in the division 1 desire to help
/ raise. If we are denied this chance
most of us will be denied and the
chance of all service under the pro-
posed obligatory system.
/ Give the allies ships and food and
money by all means, but send our men
to the front if we value our own self
/ respect. Nothing in the word now
/ counts with France except the men
who go out to face death in the field
" tbs mans perdition to be safe.