Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-20
Is Uncertain, Inadequate and
Undemocratic, Declares
Chairman ChamberIaini Has
Failed in Previous Wars.
CONSCRIPTION INSURES
EFFICIENT FIRST LINE
Administration Measure to Be
Discussed by House Mon
day. President May Appeal
to People for Passage,

IhY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED WiRel
Washington, April 19.--As one step
toward meeting opposition in congress
to the administration army plans
President Wilson sent a letter to Rep
resentative Helvering of Kansas, ex-
planning what is mean by selective
draft and expressing earnest hope that
the bill drafted by the war depart
ment would be passed.
The president and administration
leaders in congress are confident OF
the ultimate enactment of the army
bill without material changes. The
fight probably will begin in the sem
as soon as the espionage measure is
disposed of. Chairman Chamberlain
of the military committee submitted
his favorable report today.
Chairman Dent of the house COM
mittee formally presented the report
of his committee offering the bill in
amended form, authorizing the presi-
dent to call for volunteers in incre-
ments of 100000, and providing for
the selective draft only after the vol
unteer plan has failed,
Representative Kahn of Cali
fornia, rankng republican member of
the house committee, who will be one
of the administration chief spokes~
men during the fight in the house, had
a long conference with war depart
nLent oEIiCdfs.
Assail Voluntary System.
The voluntary system was assailed
as uncertain and inadequate and the
selective draft was declared to be in
recognition of just principles in the
majority report written by Chairman
Chamberlain of the military commit.
tee, and submitted to the senate today
on the administration bill.
This is no time to tolerate uncer-
tainty in the raising and maintenance
of the large numbers of men which
the present emergency is likely to re-
quire nor uncertainty in the methods
to be adopted for the establishment of
an adequate, efficient military serv-
ice" says the report.
Bill Insurcs Army.
THE bill makes certain the raising
and maintenance of the required
forces with the utmost expedition. IT
establishes the principle that all arms
bearing citizens owe to the nation the
duty of defending it. 1t selects only
those who by reason of their age and
physical capacity are best fitted to re-
ceive the training and withstand the
actual hardship of a campaign and
who happily can be taken with the
least disturbance of normal economy
and industrial conditions"
After calling attention to the fact
that the selective draft has been coun-
seled by "a world in arms as the
only adequate and effectual method"
of raising an army, the report says
that the bill provides thorough means
of recruiting the regular army and
the national guard, providing at the
same time for more than 100000 vol
unteers
Thus happily it says, "the bill
while establishing and placing the ma
tional dependence upon the almost
universally approved system of draft,
at the same time accommodates itself
TO such volunteer spirit as exists and
is available in the early days of the
war"
Volunteer Proved Inadequate.
"The volunteer method has never
proved adequate and effectual for ma
tional needs and will prove far less
so now" the report says. "History
shows that, much to our detriment,
we have begun our wars with this in
adequate and Intellectual method, and
have brought them to successful
conclusion only by resort to a sys-
tenn based on proper principles.
"The volunteer method failed this
nation in the revolution and it was
only the material aid of the French
that gave us our independence. It
failed us in the war of 1872 and had it
not been for drastic draft laws and
the diversion created by the Napoleon
ic war, we could not even have con-
clUded such peace as we did.
Failed In All U. S. Wars.
''It failed the confederacy in the
civil war, and that government. to its
advantage. was quicker to perceive
the fact than our own. II likewise
failed the federal government, and'
volunteering having practically ceased
by the end of 1852, was succeeded in
the following year by the first of the
draft acts, 1t failed us in the Spanish
American war. for the force then
called for was never obtained.
ITO render military service to the
nation is higher duty than to con-
tribute to its financial support. Fun
damentally considered military serv-
ice is the highest duty of the citizen