The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-05-12
|ORAFT BILL
READY MONDAY
Measure Expected to be no
Longer Delayed, But Pushed
Through to a
Finish.
lEND ROOSEVELT DEBATE
Even Those Favorina the Volunteer
Scheme VIII Drop Il In Order
to Gain Time and
Efficiency.
| i'END ROOSEVELT DEBATE

|
STAFF Correspondent
WASHINGTON, May 12.-The fate
Of the Roosevelt volunteers division
hinges on action by the house today
The colonel's friends are prepared
to make a sharp decisive fight. The
colonel himself has said in sub
stance:
"n 'twere done 'twere well 'twere
done quickly"
Don't delay passage Of the army
bill on my account" is the plea he
has sent to Representative Gardner
Senator Harding and other OF his
friends in congress.
Therefore the action on the Roose.
welt division will be taken quickly
! one way or the other-and the de
cision Of the house will be adhered
to in the senate.
| It appeared likely that by Monday
inisht-if not sooner-the selective
service bill would be ready for the
presidents signature.
/, During the night and early today
Roosevelt forces worked strenuously
to round up the necessary votes to
put the plan over IN the house. They
found many democratic leaders In
| line, particularly those who originally
favored the volunteer system.
Representatives Sisson, Ragsdale
and Byrne,. democrats. worked with
Representatives Madden, Gardner.
Mccormick, Lenroot and Anthony, re.
! publicans, in getting the necessary
votes.
Speaker Champ Clark and Repre-
sentative Claude Kitchin are under
stood to favor the Roosevelt division
amendment. But there Is strong
doubt that it can go through, because
of delay It would cause in giving the
war department the machinery want
ed for raising the army. This prom
ises to be the factor which may turn
the scale against the colonel.
Cards Sent Out.
WASHINGTON, May 12.-The gov
ernment today took It's first prelim-
mary step toward putting into effect
the selective service system for rails
ing an army of one million men.
Certain of speedy action by con-
gress on the army bill which came up
for final debate in the house at 10:39,
the war department began distribu-
tion OF ten million registration
blanks through which all males of
the nation between the ages OF 21 and
30 will be card indexed. These
blanks went to sheriffs and mayors
Of hundreds of communities.
The cards contain blanks for twelve
questions every detail the gov
ernment wishes to know about its
potential soldiers-and query
whether exemption is claimed.
Men who are absent from their
I, ,%. ,x1o vf1I Z, -
cure card wherever he may be and
home. Distribution of the cards is
expected to be completed within a
few days.
According to estimates compiled by
the bureau of census New York City
tween 81 and 80 years inclusive; Chi
cago 3O0.s0O; Philadelphia, III, 800;
St. Louis, $4,000; Boston, 1880;
Cleveland, s2,6OO Baltimore, $1,000;
and Pittsburgh, $1,000.
The figures given by the bureau
are based on the average annual mum.
erical increase in population for the
different cities and states since 1910,
when the last accurate census was
compiled.
New York state leads in the coun-
try in available material for war with
approximately 1.06s,00O men subject
to selective service. Pennsylvania is
next with $4,000 and Illinois third
with 639, 500.
The registration possibilities for
other states are compiled as follows
by the bureau:
Alabama, 2o9 900; Arizona, 34,7Oo:
Arkansas, 5000; California, 362, ,OoG; /
Colorado, 109,500; Connecticut, 123,-
900; Delaware, 2O.10W; Florida, e3..
800; Georgia, 255,400; Idaho, 51,SOo;
Illinois, s39,500: Indiana, 263, 500; I
Iowa, 10000; Kansas, 175,900; Ken
lucky, 2O2,200; Louisiana, III 900: |
Maine, $4,000; Maryland, 121 800; |
355, 400; Michigan,
2ss,1O0; Minnesota. 244,7OO; Missis.
sippi, 175,10O: Missouri, 315, 900:
Montana, 74.300; Nebraska, 12s, 400;
18.50o; New Hampshire, 3s,.
CONTINUED on page ~ j