Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-04-18
ARMY PLANS GIVEN
SETBACK IN HOUSE
Military Committee Votes II
to 8 in Favor of
Volunteers.
SENATE BODY FOR DRAFT

Opponents of selective conscriptior
got the upper hand in the House mill
tary committee today and voted. IL tc
g. to have the new army bill carry a
provision to try first to raise the new
forces by volunteers.
Meanwhile. the bill, including the
conscrfption provision. was approved
by the Senate military committee. IL
'e 4. s.u.,. .on,u,,,,.. n,.a. nr,.,,-
caily no changes in the bill other than
to insert an amendment that there
shall be no intoxicating liquor sold or
given away at the military training
camp. and also to insert special pro-
vision authorizing the exemption of
farmers and farm hands if such ex-
smption be necessary.
100000 by August /.
It has been estimated by the War
Department that by August l. in event
of the passage of the selective con-
scription measure. the first 100000 men
so chosen will be in training camps.
In the meantime the War Department
ment for this army.
The local authorities will be called
in to aid in making the selective draft.
The voting precincts will be the unit
country between the ages of nineteen
and twenty-five will be called upon to
register throughout the country on the
same day. Exemptions permitted under
the bill will be made by local boards.
II has been estimated that there are
about 100000 men of these prescribed
ages in the country. and that about
90 per cent of them will be accepted
for service in the event they are re-
Quired. The choice of the men who
will be taken first, after all exemptions
have been made. will be by lot.
Test in House Committee.
The volunteer system won out in the
House military committee on test
vote on recognition of that system of
organization until its feasibility or fall
ttre to furnish sufficient men can be es
tablished. with authority to the Presi-
dent then to resort to draft. The re-
suit threw the committee into confu-
sion and the opponents of straight
drew TO put in form amendments to the
bill In the hope Of getting the conscrip-
tion element to join in united vote
from the committee.
Field. Kentucky; Shallenberger, Ne
braska: Caldwell. New York: Anthony,
Kansas. and Hull. Iowa. conferred with
this end in view in the effort to effect
plan to win support from the other
group to give conscription at the earli-
est possible moment and meantime
authorize q call OF volunteers appor-
toned among the states to be officered
in the same way as proposed in the
administration war army bill. This
group asked first for a half-hour re-
cess to put into shape the compromise
plan 1t was not ready when the time
was up and there was another delay
of . half hour or more.
straight-out Decision.
The committees action was
straight-out decision for the principle
of a volunteer system first of all. ap
plying both as to filing up the gap in
the regular army. the National Guard
and the additional increments. which
total according to Secretary Baker, an
increase of 724,000 men, and to the
raising of the big army contemplated
In the administration war army bill
But as soon as the volunteer system
fails to provide sufficient number of
men the President deems necessary. he
would have authority to resort at once
to selective conscription.
The advocates of the volunteer plan
who were in conference constituted a
subcommittee to draw up the phraseol-
ogy of the amendments necessary to put
this pro-volunteer plan into operation
in place of the conscription plan pro-
posed in the administration bill. This
subcommittee promised to have their
plan drawn up and ready for vote i'm
mediately after the recess for luncheon.
They proceeded on the contention
that the sentiment of the House and
+. the country is against conscription and
that il should be tried out only after a
fair test of the volunteer systems
strength or weakness. Members like
Mann of California. Green of Vermont
and others. who favor the administra-
tion selective conscription plan as 1t
stands. without compromise, as the
President and Secretary want indi-
Gated there was likely to be minority
dissenting report.
President Against Compromise.
While the two committees were act
ing, President Wilson was at the Capitol
comforting with Senate leaders on the
administration war measures, particu-
larly the army bill.
The President told senator's he would
consent to no compromise. because the
War Department experts, after careful
examination and discussion. had decided
that SelectlNe cOnscrlptlOn was the only
effective way of raising a strong army.
The administration expects the army
bill to be made the unfinished business
of the Senate. so that II can be pushed
10 passage promptly. Then, with the
prestige of having passed the Senate
the measure is expected to receive more
prompt and favorable consideration in
the House. The President was assured
that the majority of republicans in the
House were supporting his plans
The strongest objection to the con-
scription feature comes from House
democrats who favor a volunteer sys-
tenn To these the administration is
prepared to point out that the army
general stan plan already provides for
absorbing 100000 volunteers into the
regular army and National Guard for
the period of the war.
Senate Committee Fav0rS