The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-08
TO GO ABROAD
IN SECRET
Commissioners Busy A II
Day in Conferences Over
Troop Movement
ARMY BILL NOT
YET REPORTED
American Expedition airy
Force to France Within
the Next Two Months

Washington, May 8.--Detailed confer
ences between members of the British
war commission and American officials
took place yesterday in all parts oil
Washington. Military officers Of both
governments conferred on plans for
sending an American expeditionary force
to France within the next two months
and food, trade and shipping experts held
separate conferences perfecting plans for
COS operation.
| While it is generally understood that
the general staff has been overridden
respecting its reluctance to send an ex-
| peditionary force until large sized
army has been trained, and while the
! prediction is made in well informed quar-
ters that an expeditionary force would
be started for France within the next
two months, no responsible officials are
setting any dates for it's departure.
For obvious reasons the officials who
will direct the sending Of this force
will do everything in their power TO
prevent the date of departure or the
route from becoming known.
No further progress toward an agree
ment on the selective CONSUMPTION bill
was reached at the session yesterday of
the House and Senate conferees.
So far as the conferees would admit,
they did not dispose of the questions
whether Col. Roosevelt should be given
the opportunity to organize one or more
divisions or of the age limits of the per-
sons who are to be conscripted
The two points of difference between
the Senate and House bills upon which
the greatest trouble is being experienced
are concerning the question OF age lin
its for the conscripts and authority for
Col Roosevelt to lead volunteer d.
vision to the front. The prevailing idea
is that the minimum age limit will be
fixed at Il and the maximum at some
where between 80 and IS years. The
original war department bill fixed the
limits at 10 and rs.
The Senate adopted q and ~ as the
limits and the House 2l and 40.
This week viii probably see action
on the general war budget bill for the
army and navy, totalling nearly $1,000
100000, on the general army approprl
alton bill and on the revenue tax bill.
As result of the formal conference |
held on Saturday between the Officials I
Of the war department and members Of /
the British war commission it is antici-
pated that by the time Congress has |
finally acted on all these measures the /
chief of staff will be ready to draw up /
formal recommendation to the secretary |
Of war and the president concerning the
best and quickest way to get troops
across to the fighting front.
All details of the preparations have
been delegated to committees OF Amer
can and British military experts, who
will work cut their plans with a view
e having the fighting organization OF
he United States fit in with that of the
lilies
For Service in France.
Washington. May s.-The war depart
nent announced yesterday that orders
lad been sent out for the raising of nine
egiments Of engineers for duty ut the
'arliest possible moment on the COM
nunication lines in France.
These troops will be in addition to
he forces contemplated in the admin