The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-05-17
Congress COnterees. Agree on
Disputed Points.
ANTI-LIoUOR RULE STANDS
Amendments Prohibiting Its Sale at
Army Camps Retained-VoIunteer
H Border Patrol Loses--War
Department Ready
to Act.

StlCSliNC Dll was SGhI
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 III the bill
containing the following provisions:
CONSUMPTION of men between TWEEN
ty-one to thlrty-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 maximum age
of forty years. The senate was in
sistent 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 twen-
ty-five for immediate service at the
front was stricken out. This was a
senate provision, the amendment of
Senator Harding of Ohio. Under it's
terms the mobilization Of the so-ealled
Roosevelt army" would have been
permissible. The senate had voted it
into the bill. 1t 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 a horizontal Increase of SO
per month for the period of the war
was materially modified. Under the
compromise proviso 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 bGse
pay is $24 an increase of Sc, and those
whose base pay is $40 or more an in
crease Of 50 per month.
The senate provision for the enlist
ment of three regiments of Volunteer
cavalry for service on the MeXiCith
border, was stricken from the bill.
Liquor Amendment Wins.
The senate provisions to insure pro:
hibition of the use or abuse of alcO-
holic 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,N barracks and recruiting sta
tons 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 adjudicate claims of draft
ed men as to their non-draftable status
was continued in the measure.
Substitutes Arc Barred.
1t is not believed that in view of the
success of the house conferecs, the de-
bate on the conference report in the
house will be long. How the senate
will take the total elimination of the
four volunteer divisions is still a mat
ter of conjecture.
The senate also accepted the pro-
visions inserted by the house to the
effect that under no circumstances
were bOunties to be paid to recruits or
substitutes accepted for acceptance in
lieu of the men conscripted.
War Department Ready tolAct.
Machinery Of the war department is
in perfect shape for instant use in rails
ing an army of 100000 men as soon as
the administrations conscription bill
becomes operative. The recruiting of
cofscripts will not begin until the bill
has been signed by the president ana
he has issued proclamation requiring
all men between twehty-one and thir-
ty-one to register.
g The new army will not be called out
by ages )li I'd
Every man In the country between
the ages of twentyone and thirty-one
will have to enroll for military serv-
Ice within the next three weeks. 1t
was announeed that the date for regis
tration had not vet been determined
upon, but that President Wilson was
expected TO set 1t within week or ten
days Of the signing of the bill. The
president himself will select the date
for the first registration, He will make
1t public In an executive proclamation
calling upon the men between the ages
mentioned to submit themselves for
enrolment and examination at certain
places already chosen by The war de.
parhneht.