River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1917-05-03
Washington Letter
(By James A. Frear, NJ. Co.


House have debated new army bills.
Three different plans were before
| Congress all last week and as the
measure yet to be adopted will have
an important influence on the entire
country during the war and there
after, their exact terms are given.
1t may be of interest that while every
Congressman received kilograms sign
ed by constituents urging support of
| the army staff bill, that bill is not, and
has not been before the House at any
time
The House Military Committee re-
ported a majority bill which provided
for recruiting the national guard and
regular army up to war strength by
volunteers, or to total of over 900,
900 men. That bill also authorized
two new armies of 100000 men each,
or nearly 2, 100000 men in all. The
three plans before Congress in this
particular were all alike as to the
number Of men asked for by the
! President and authorized.
| The majority committee bill further
provided that volunteers could be call
eel for the new army of a million men
and if volunteers were not promptly
forthcoming, the President at any
time might put into effect conscrip-
ton from men between the ages of
Fl and 40 years, inclusive. This draft
of 100000 was to be made from a
census taken of all men subject to
such service, reaching about 15,000,
900 in number. The board that makes
the draft to be majority of civilians,
and draft selections TO be subject to
review by the courts under the habeas
corpus act. The committee bill fur
Their permitted volunteering by units
OF companies in the different states
similar to national guard organiza-
tions. The minority amendments
agreed with the majority but struck
out the provisions permitting volun-
teering and that part relating to a
draft commission or right to review
by the courts and also right of men to
enter as units or companies. In other
words all men between ages Of Fl and
40, would be enrolled as in the ma
iority bill, and the new army of 1,OOO,-
900 men would be drafted from the
100000 men liable to service. These
two plans were the only measures be-
fore the House.
Throughout the week the Senate
considered the army staff bill which
in some provisions was the same as
the minority house bill. 1t recruits
the regular army and national guard
up to the war strength by volunteers
and also calls for an army Of 100000
men by CONSUMPTION, but limits ages
Of service from 10 to Is years, with
possibly 100000 men from whom to
choose. This briefly described the
three plans considered.
| Secretary of War Baker calculates
it will take four months to make a
census, for CONSUMPTION and to select
men, and about a year altogether to
equip and train the new army. The
House majority committee claimed
that volunteers could be secured and
trained in six months to make up this
army and in any event the President
could Immediately prepare for a cen
sus with delay and arrange for con-
scription providing enough volunteers
did not materialize. Every plan was
exhaustively discussed and although
| Speaker Clark, Ex-Speaker Cannon,
General Sherwood, hero of many bat
ties during the civil war, and others
/ favored the volunteer provisions, the
proposal was stricken from the bill.
Saturday night the CONSUMPTION bill
covering ages from Fl to 40 years
passed the House. At midnight Sat-
urday the Senate passed the army
staff CONSUMPTION bill which limits
ages of conscripts from 10 to %
years and these two bills at this writ
ing (Monday) are in conference be
tween the two houses and conscrip-
ton will occur with volunteering pro
visions eliminated. The point of diff
ference now is the age from which
the draft is to be made. The army
staff bill is from 10 to 25 years; the
House bill from Fl to 40 years of age.
The writer voted for the committee
bill and later for the amended House
bill covering ages from Fl to 40 years
which is the House bill now in con-
ference, but protested in debate
against the army staff CONSUMPTION
of men from 10 to 25 years. Here
tofore in these letters have at times
given reasons for votes but have of
fered no personal explanations nor
defense therein because newspaper
space and fairness would not permit.