The Washington times., 1917-04-10

that the caucus give him either
vote of confidence or a vote deposipg
him as floor leader.
Opposed To Conscription.
President Wilson and Secretary
Baker have encountered strong House
opposition to conscription. The Pres
ident has been forced to get behind
the bill with all his influence.
The majority of the House Commit
tee on Military Affairs is said to be
opposed to conscription. Chairman
Dent was called TO the White House
yesterday and he and the President
were reported to be far apart in their
views. Mr.. Dent is understood to
have told the President Of wide
spread opposition to conscription ana
to have been informed that the Ad-
ministration regards 1t as vital.
Appearing before the House Com
mittee on Military Affairs, Secretary
Baker encountered stiff opposition to
the Administration bill. Anti-con-
scriptionists insisted on trying the
volunteers plan. The Secretary was
positive that the right sort OF an
army cannot be raised by calling vol
unteers.
The committee meeting was be-
hind closed doors. Unmistakable an
tagonism to the conscription idea de-
veloped. 1t was suggested that
compromise should be accepted by
the department-that the volunteer
system be tried out for sixty to 10
days, with the understanding that con-
scription should follow a collapse OF
the volunteer plan.
Period to.Be Limited.
Chairman Dent is said to have in
formed President Wilson that the
chairman and many other members
of the House believe the volunteer
system will suffice. to raise an army.
President Wilson could not share In
this optimism. When Mr.. Dent left
the White House he and the President
were apparently "hopelessly divided"
Mr.. Dent intimated that some form
of compromise legislation may come
out OF the Military Affairs Committee.
The legislation reported probably
will cover a limited period or the du-
ration of the war, II there is anything
approaching conscription contained
in the bill. The disposition of the
committee seems to be to separate
the conscription issue from the broad
er question of universal military
training and service AMI to approach
the army bill as an emergency meas
ure.
Secretary Baker is said to have
urged the committee to report the
bill as drawn because, for one thing,
1t will show Germany the earnestness
OF this country in entering the war.
The psychological effect of a con-
scription measure, the Secretary OF
War feels. would be great.
Wants ViriIe Army.
Secretary Baker has endeavored to
impress the House committee with
the Administration's desire not to
raise a somewhat heterogeneous army,
The Administration is seeking by Sc
lective draft tQ raise an army of
virile, active, equally-aged men who
can take an aggressive part in warfare
after training. The volunteer system,
whereunder there would be less sys-
tematic mobilization is regarded as de-
cidedly unit
The contention OF Chairman Dent
and other members OF the House COM
mittee Is that the volunteer system f.
entitled to fair trial. Opponents OF
the Administration plan hold conscrip-
ton, except as a last resort, violates
American ideals and traditions. Mem
bers of Congress are receiving letters
for and against conscriptIon.
There has been no poll of the Mill
tary Affairs Committee because OF the
reluctance OF members to make public
their views, but II was conservatively
estimated today that the majority of |
the committee is opposed to the Ad- |
ministration BILL
Whether Administration influence,
potent in the past, will whip the com
mittee in line is problematical. The |
majority seems determined
to insist upon a compromise bill and
Chairman Dent said he did not expect |
to report any measure for a week. |
Delay in bringing out the army bill in |
dicates conflict in the committee.