The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-04-22
Claims That Changes Made in Administration Bill Are Not Destructive of
 the Conscription Idea
GIVES WILSON POWER TO CALL VOLUNTEERS WHILE WAITING DRAFT
Also Broadens Scope So That Others Besides Real Young Men Will
 Be Liable
By HUGH ". ROBERTS


 Washington, April 21.-( (Spe- cial. 1.-The indications are that President Wilson will succeed in forcing through Congress a bill authorizing conscription for the creation of an army. As result of pressure ex- erted directly, the administra- ton has forced the Senate con- mittee on military affairs to re- port favorably the war college bill against which previously, by vote of nine to eight, 1t had registered itself.
 While the committee declined by 2 vote of twelve to eight to be lashed into line there is no denial of the fact that during the week the power of the President shook the foundations of many members of Congress who previously expressed themselves as opposed to conscription.
 As result it Is the consensus of opin- ion that in the end, the President win win.
 DENTS STATEMENT
 Tn formal statement this afternoon Representative Dent of Alabama, chair man of the House committee on military affair. claims that the difference between the committee and the administration is mere tempest in a teapot. The adminiatrat;oa would ir1Ine,iiats.s nroceed to conssript ir tis.-~ervice ever. man in the United States between the ages of 21 and n The committee de- clSres that the administration may pro- ceed to do 50.
 REAL PROVISIONS
 ''In addition" said Mir Dent to The Age-Herald correspondent. the bill au- tborizes, but does not direct, the Pres- ident to issue S call for 8 volunteer army of 6000oo men. The bill further au- thorizes ths President to proceed at once with the registration of ali male citizens. as provided in the plant of the war col- lege
 According to the testimony delivered by the Secretary of War before the com mittee at least three months will be re- quired to complete this registration. un- der the plan proposed by the war de- partmcnt, which was adopted by the com mittee. tho President would have no power to oonscript an army until this registration has been completed. In the meantime. if the President sees fit. he Is authorized to call for volunteers, and upon the completion of the registration, he has the absolute power to decide whether he will accept an army of vol- unteers or an army by draft"
 WAR COLLEGE FRUSTRATED
 MT. Dent. in his discussion with the correspondent of The Age Herald, admit ted that the committee had frustrated at least two schemes of the war college.
 Tn the first place" said MT. Dent. the administration demanded the right to draft into the service every American between the ages of 19 and 25. The com mittee amended the proposal to the effect that the administration might draft into the service all Americans between the ages of 21 and 70. Tho committee did not think that the government should. in the first instant, rob the cradle ana put out of commission every university and college in the country.
 'Tn the second place, the war college desired a law under which the President could not only draft into the service any boy he desired to draft, but that he could also assign that boy to any department of the army. or to any branch of the mili- tary service he might select. The conn mittee was practically unanimous in an- initiating that provision. The committee thought that from the standpoint of the boy. and the standpoint of the service. 1t would be wiser to permit the individual soldier to serve with those of his ec- quaintance and be commanded by or. ficers of his own state or section.
 EVERYTHING ASKED FOR
 "But as whole. the committee save
 (Continued on Page Four)