Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-05-16
DRAFT AGE PUT
At q TO 80;
No I. R. ARMY
Congress ConfereeS Agree on
Disputed Points.
ANTl-LIoUOR RULE STANDS
Amendments Prohibiting its Sale at
Army Camps Observation-Disclosures
Border Patrol Loses-War
Department Ready
to Act.

Washington. May 1.-THE admins
tration's Selective draft bill was sent
back to both branches of congress by
the house and senate conferees after
an agreement had been reached upon
each of the points of difference in the
measure. The agreement is expected
to be formally accepted by both
houses by Saturday and the measure
be rushed to President Wilson for his
signature.
Draft Age Twenty-one to Thirty.
The agreement resulted in the bin
containing the following provisions:
Consumption of men between twen-
ty-one TO thirty-one years.
No authority for the president to
accept the service of volunteer army
divisions, such as Colonel Roosevelt
planned TO raise.
Increased pay for enlisted men.
The conference resulted in victory
for the house. Nevertheless several inn
portant amendments introduced in the
senate have prevailed and the ques-
ton of the minimum age limit for re-
cruitment under the selective draft
was adjusted by compromise. The
house had held out for a maximum age
of forty years. The senate was in
slstent upon drafting only troops be-
tween twenty-one and twenty-seyen.
Volunteer Section Killed.
The question OF four army divisions
of volunteers beyond the age of TWEEN
ty-fiye for immediate service at the
front was stricken out This was
senate provision, the amendment OF
Senator Harding of Ohio. Under its
terms the mobilization of the so-called
Roosevelt army would have been
permissible. The senate had voted it
into the bill. IL had been defeated in
the house. 1t was the point upon
which disagreement had been sharp
est.
More Pay for Enlisted Men.
The house provision for the advance
ment in the pay of enlisted men of the
army by horizontal increase OF SIS
per month for the period Of the war
was materially modified. Under the
compromise prOvlso the advances in
the pay of soldiers will be as follows
All enlisted men of the army of
| the United States in active service
whose base pay does not exceed $21
per month shall receive an increase
of $40 per month; those whose base
pay Is So. an increase Of Sc. aud those
whose base pay is $40 or more an in
crease Of s. per month.
The senate provision for the enlist
ment Of three regiments Of volunteer
cavalry for service on the Mexican
border was stricken from the bill.
Liquor Amendment Wins.
The senate provisions to insure pro-
hibitlon of the use or abuse of alco-
hole liquors by the men of the army
was modified so that only their sale
or delivery TO soldiers in uniforms is
prohibited. The importation into the
camps, barracks and recruiting sta
lions is also forbidden.
The house provision insuring state
designations TO National Guard troops
| called TO the colors for war was ac-
cepted by the senate conferees. The
senate provisions for the creation of
tribunals to adiudlcate claims of draft
ed men as TO their non-draftable status
was continued in the measure.
Substitutes Are Barred.
II Is not believed that in view of the
success of the house conferees, the de-
bate on the conference report IN the
house will be long. How the senate
win take the total elimination of the
four volunteer divisions Is stiIl a mat
ter of conjecture.
The senate also accepted the pro-
visions inserted by the house 20 the
effect that under no circumstances
were bounties to be paid 10 recruits or
substitutes accepted for acceptance in
lieu Of the men conscripted.
War Department Ready to Act.
Machinery of the war department Is
In perfect shape for instant use In is
ing an army of 100000 men as soon as
the administration CONSUMPTION bin
becomes operative. The recruiting Of
conscripts will not begin antiI the bin
has beer signed by the president aud
he has ueI o proclamation requiring
all men berwecn twenty-One and thir-
ty-one to register.
The new army will not he called out
by ages.
Every man Ia the country between
the ages OF twenty-one and thlrty-one
will have to enroll for military serv-
ice within the next three weeks. It
was announced that the date for regis
tration had not yet been determined
upon, but that President Wilson was
expected 10 So 1t within week or ten
days Of the signing OF the Till. The
president himself will select the date
for the first registration. He will make
II public In an executive proclamation
calling upon the men between the ages
mentioned 10 submit themselves for
enrolment and examination at certain
places already chosen by the war de-
pertinent.
Modern Way.
81,