Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-10
Il TO 81 YEARS FIXED
AS CONScRIPTlQM l
COMMITTEE
KILL TEDDY'S PLAN
ROOSEVELT USED AS COMPROM.
ISE TO WHIP HOUSE BILL
DOWN FROM 40 YEARS TO AGE
SETTLED UPON TODAY.

Washington, May 10-The conscrip-
ton bill conferees reached complete
agreement this morning breaking
deadlock for more than a week Here
are the terms of the agreement:
The Harding amendment authoriz-
Ing acceptance of Col. aooseyet's Of
fer TO raise a division for service in
France is stricken from the bill.
The eonscripton age limit is fixed
at from 21 to 81 years.
The fall amendment providing
cavalry patrol of three regiments for
border service goes out of the bill
The army prohibition amendment
stays in the bill
Sentiment in the senate is so strong
ly in favor Of the retention. of the
Roosevelt amendment that a strong
fight probably will be made in the
upper house against acceptance of
lIt NUUlfl tD'' bNltNiAtNiAts i'AN ENh
ate conferecs explained today that
giving up the Roosevelt amendment
seemed TO be the only way of ADJUST
ing the differences tween the two
houses and ending the delay in getting
the measure into operation.
The conference report will be sub
mitted to both houses today, 1t was
stated Senator Chamberlain, chair
man of the Senate conferees vii. not
ask consideration Of the report until
the house acts. II is expected the
house will act without delay, how
ever.
The agreement on the age limit was
compromise. The house voted to
make the conscription age q 10 40,
while the senate decided it should be
fixed at q to u years The confer
ence agreement provides for registra-
ton for all males, with certain ex-
emptions between the ages Of q and
g years,
Officials Demand Action.
Washington, May 10-Rumblings OF
discomfort at in action in the big gov
ernmcnt departments which must car
rv on the war are growing louder ev-
cry day. These mutterings came from
officials who openly declare that val
uable time is being lost while depart.
ment heads carry on cheesepar
ing plan Of so-called economy There
is as a result growing demand for
real action and for the Capitalization
of power in the hands of men who viii
use it.
The first open manifestation Of i'm
patience came from assistant secre
tary of the navy Franklin D. Roose-
Welt. lie threw a bomb into the navy
leagues reception to Rear Admiral
Sir Dudle y. Chair, British naval ex-
pert last night when he said:
1T is the duty Of this mission to
tell the American people what the
allies need and what we can give
them not tomorrow, understand. but
today 1t is time that the officers of
the army and the navy and congress
allreached the belief and understand
ing that the time to act is now and
not next September or some other
date in the distant future The quick.
or the people demand of their repre-
sentatiyos that the delay be eliminat.
ed and action substituted the quicker
will be done this great serious wor-
Of war which now faces us"
Congress is holding up the conscrip
ton bill and other very important
legislation But officials assert there
is much that the departments could
do that is not being done. And it is
, because certain officials realize that
it is only a question Of time when
r. the country will 80 and that all facts
i. be told that they are working tooth
and nail to gag the press and muz2le
/. free speech Leading Senators and
G Representatives with knowledge OF
what is going on threaten at an,
Z time to demand the facts