The Washington times., 1917-04-20
MINORITY REPORT
ON CONSUMPTION
Congressman Kahn Drafting
Singing Reply to Volunteer
Authorization, Clause.

Congressman Kahn Of California
ranking Republican OF the House Mill
tary Committe. today was drafting gen.
eral stan bill. reported to- the House
with a provision authorizing" Presi-
dent Wilson to call for volunteers be-
fore seleetive conscription is used.
Kahn promised the report Will be
ready tomorrow afternoon It will be
signed by eight members Of the commit
tee who voted to report the bill without
the authorization" when, they charge.
is an unfair" attempt to place responsi-
bility on the President
Intense Interest In Senate.
Intense interest centers on the con-
sideration in the Senate of the con-
scription bill. This was reported to
the Senate last evening by Senator
Chamberlain, chairman of the Mill
tary Committee. He will seek to have
1t considered as soon as the espionage
measure is out Of the way.
Prospects now are favorable for the
passage OF the bill by the Senate be-
fore the House acts. Canvasses in
dicate that a majority of the Senate
will sustain conscription.
BY no means the least important
factor about the conscription bill. as
viewed by Senator Chamberlain, and
some OF its supporters. Is that IL en-
acted It in reality puts the country
on the basis Of a new military policy
of universal training.
Many in Congress believe that once
the conscription bill 10 passed, provi-
sion for universal training should be
made in order TO place conscription
on effective foundation.
Sharp debate Is expected In the
Senate and II will be prolonged.
But no fifibuster is expected.
ChamberIain Cites Lincoln.
Senator Chamberlain had been
looking into the history Of conscfip-
ton In the civil war and Is impress
sed with the fact President Lincoln
met opposition in much the same
way that opposition Is now being
manifested to It. For this reason,
the arguments made by Lincoln fit
the present situation. This led Sen
Rtor Chamberlain to incorporate.
In. the report for the bill the ad-
dress which Lincoln prepared in
favor of conscription, in which he
pointed out IL was not q new Depart
ure, that II was used to an extent In
the revolution, and was familiar to
the founders of the Republic.
Uses Llneoin's Argument.
The argument OF President Lincoln
during the civil war ins support of
conscription IL made the closing fea-
ture of the report Of the Senate Mill
tary Committee in favor of the con-
scription bill, which was submitted
this Afternoon by Senator Chamber
lain.
Believing that the language of
Presidents Lincoln Is peculiarly ap-
plicable at this time, Senator Cham
berlain has embodied in the report an
address to the American people pre-
pared by lincoln when opposition to
the conscription was at its height. In
that address President Lincoln said:
'The principle of draft, which sim
ply Is involuntary or enforced serv-
ice, is not new. 1t has been in prac-
tice in all ages OF the world. 1t was
well known to the trainers OF our
Constitution as one OF the modes OF
raising armies at the time they placed
III IudI bhO pAONASAOh ehoe
the Congress shall have power to
raise and support armies 1t had
been used just before in establishing
our independence, and 1t was also
used under the Constitution In 1912.
wherein is the peculiar hardship
now7 Shall we shring from the nee
essary means to protect our free
Government which .our grandfathers
used to establish u and our own faith
ers have used once to maintain it2
Are we degenerate? Has the man.
hood of our race run out?"
The report arraigns the extrava-
gance and inefficiency OF the volun-
teer system, and cites the unfortunate
experience of England In seeking to
rely upon that system