Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-26
SPEAKER TAKES FLOOR
AGAINST WAR ARMY BILL
Champ Clark. in Address to House
Declares His UnaltcrabIc Oppo-
sition to Sclectiye Draft.
MEASURE EXPECTED TO PASS
Poll Shows That Members Will Line
Up Behind President by Majority
OF Sixty to Scventy-Notc Prob
able by Saturday.
! By Associated Pr.ss. !

dDIc DI SATURDAY.
iBy Associated Pr-e,1
1 WAsIIINGToN. April 25.-.,lthoush
( Speaker Clark took tho noor in the
/ House to-day and aroused great en-
/ ,huHiasm among opponents Of tho ad-
/ ministration army bill by his vigorous
/ dcnunciation OF the sclccjivc draft and
, defense OF the volunteer system. cham
pions Of tho measure still were con
fdcnt tonight that it would pass no,
! later than Saturday, virtually as ap-
! proved by the President
II Nag announced during tho day
that poll Of the House made by sup
/ portcrs of the bill disclosed a favorable
ajcrity Of between sixty and seventy.
! Its passage in the Senate is considered
/ assured. and unanimous consent TO vote
on it there by Saturday viii be sought
Tomorrow Minor changes made in
ono house OF the other proba bly, will
ucccssitatc conference. 50 tha, tho
! bill is not lkcly TO become law for a
week or morr.
SAYS WORD "CDNSIRII'r'
Is tLsSSED WITH "CONNICT"
Speaker Clark spoke for moro than
an hour. Most OF I'll" House member
shin and many Senators heard him
! plead in characteristic fashion that tho
. volunteer system be tried again. and
/ declare that IN the minds OF the people
| Of his State tho word "conscripi" is
classcd with convict" Applause fro
/ qucntly interrupted him.
/ Senator'S Reed Nardaman and Shor-
man were the speakers on the Senate
side. All three opposed the sclcctivc
draft and upheld tho volunteer system.
Senator Reed spoke for nearly four
. hours. and attacked the bill in almost
/ every detail. Senator Nardaman said
! he would never vote for compulsion un-
! I'll he had bccn shown that the volun-
tccr system would not work. lie criti-
ciZcd the pending bill as another cx-
! hlbition OF tho tendency To get away
from the principles OF democracy.
Senator sherman declared tina, he
would not "abdicatc his power for any
chief magistrate, Cabinet or War Col
| ieEc." lie said England for a thou
sand years had cot alonE and fought
| her wars successfully without resort
| 10 conscription.
! The Illinois Senator said the metro
puii,an newspapers which were largely
/ responsible FOR bringing on the war,
/ had not succeeded Very wcll in bring
/, inc III recruits. ON April = he SAID
There were more recruits IN Muncie.
Ind. with 10000 people than in New
York, with her 6,ooo.ooo
Will MAKE nEutEsT
TO FIN VOTING TIME
Chairman Chamberlain, of tho Senate
Military committee. viii present his
request to fix time for voting to-
morrow. and is hopeful ii vii. be
agreed to. lie said tonight there WAS
no indication that many more long
speeches would be made
Representative Shcrlcy. OF Kentucky.
who replied TO Speaker Clark read a
telegram Henry Watterson. editor OF
the Louisville Courier journal had
sent the Speaker, declaring tho voIun-
tccr system was u relic OF the past. as
is the stage coach and that his vote
against conscription would weaken his
usefulness 10 the country.
Chairman Dent. OF tho committee
leading the volunteer advocates asked
volunteer basis and the army proposed
10 he on the draft basis.
CAN MAINTAIN NAVAL. FORCE
70, NoLU NTEEH SYSTEM
1t is one thing" replied Mr. Sher-
icy. TO he able TO furnish soc 900 men
over course OF years as ships come
| into commission and 10 gel them by
tho volunteer system. and il is quite
another thing 10 organize a million
men by the volunteer system with
the uncertainties of enlistment and of
| volunteering.'
You certainly do no, contend
asked Mr.. Dent. that IL the majority
bill is adopted the President cannot
set everything he asked for"
"Oh. no." replied Mr.. Sherley. "bu,
he has to get it'after the trial and
trihniaton OF finding that the rulun-
tecr system is inadequate and after
trying system that puts upon men
the very, stigma YOU say you want 10
keep from the citizenship
The House remained in session until
10 o'clock Tonight. Representative
Gardner announced before adjourn
ment that he and a number OF others
had polled the House and had found
23' memaers in favor of the draft l13
opposed aud so noncommlttal
GIRL WILL DIE FOR SPYING