New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-14
Nothing in Amendment to
Compel Him to Commits
sion Colonel
Hint Chairman Dent
May Delay Action
Conferrees to Take Up
Draft Bill To-day: Veto
Not Expected
From TIE Tribune B1rcaul

Washington, May l3.-N netner or
not Colonel Roosevelt's army goes 10
France, whether the Colonel goes with
it. and whether as leader or a minor
officer, will be squareIy up 10 the PresI-
dent within few days.
The Roosevelt amendment will be in
serted without delay, it is expected,
when the conferrees on the army draft
bill meet tomorrow. The only appsr-
ent chance Of delay, since the army TO
France plan approved BY the Senate
was accepted by the House yesterday.
is the possibility that Chairman Dent
of the House Military Affairs Commit
tee will raise some new point of con-
troversy.
All Rests with Wilson
There is nothing in the amendment,
however, which would compel the Pres
ident to raise the divisions for which
it provides, much less to appoint Colo
mel Roosevelt to command ono OF them.
There is nothing in it which would
force the President 10 send any of the
divisions to France after they were
raised. In his discretion, the President
could raise them, put Roosevelt in com
mand Of one of them, and then. II he
liked. set that division guarding the
Erie Canal.
Friends of the amendment, however,
are counting. on public opinion 20 per-
suade the President 70 let the Colonel
have his wishes.
There remains the possibility that
the President, strongly opposed as he
is to the Roosevelt amendment, will
veto the entire bill and send il back TO
Congress. Il is admitted that il the
President should resort TO this action
il is scarcely likely that a two-thirds
vote could be mustered 10 pass the bill
over his veto. The probability in that
event would be that Congress would
proceed to pass the bill without the
4. r. amendment.
Veto Would Cause Delay
Such a course would result in so
much further delay, however, that the
general opinion is the President would
not risk il, especially when every day
is so precious in getting a start on
training the new army.
While il is expected that the Roose'
welt amendment will be promptly tackled
on TO the bill and the measure reported
back to the TWO houses for immediate
action, there is a possibility of much
delay in conference. There is some
worry among the men anxious to get
the new army under canvas over the
question put by Chairman Dent Of the
House Military Committee and also OF
the House conferrees Immediately after
the vote by which the army bill was
sent back TO conference.
"Do ! understand that this vote
means the whole bill goes back into
confcrencc?" Mr.. Dent asked.
That is correct said Speaker Clark
IL IS feared tnat MI. be., means 10
seek some other concessions from the
conferrees. A curious phase OF the
situation is that Mr.. Dent was himself
strongly in favor Of the volunteer sys-
TEN.
May Change T. II. Amendment
In reinserting the Roosevelt amend
ment it is probable that there will be
some changes in It's text. As IL now
stands. Il provides that no man under
twenty-five shall 10 enlisted in these
four divisions Of volunteers. This sur
wives from the time when the amend
ment was drawn, when the ages OF men
subject to conscription stood nineteen
10 twenty-five, ss reported by the Sem
ate committee.