The Alaska citizen., 1917-05-14
CONSCRIPTION NEAR.

Alter more than a month of Fourth o1 July speech making, wire pulling playing oI i politics and other numerous timc-dcvourins | proceedings that are every year becoming more and more part ol the attributes ot )ur legislatures, both state and national, con gres, seems to be in q position to put through he army war measure. With the very safe ty Of the nation at stakc and this bill one ot the most important features in the defense 2f the country, it has been held up until the entire body of the people has become dis gusted.
 Appeal after appeal has been made fo1 action, and congress has turned deaf cal Q them all. Valuable time has been lost that can never be regained. The war department nas been held back from carrying out its plans for raising large army simply because he two houses were unable to come to ar agreement over a few minor details of the measure We don't believe that the history of the world shows another such example o1 procrastination at such a critical period.
 It must be evident that men are needed in France when the American government las decided to send a small force of troops there, contrary to the advice of the military experts Of the country. Surely this need has been known to congress, since 1t has had aC cess to all the information possessed by the government, and yet, alter more than a mont OI being in state of war, the new army ol the United States is very little nearer being organized than it was on the day of the declaration.
 Yesterday the conference committees which have charge of the measure came tc l l sOnably be expected that few days more will see 1t become a law and i'll full swing. The credit for the initial passage of the mea- sure as well as the agreement reached by the conferees Is mostly President Wilson's S. Knowing ones predicted the rejection of the COnsCription provision when 1t was introduced i'll the house of representatives. So strongly did the President support 1t, however, that its passage was almost unanimous. His per Sonal influence in this matter was the big geSt factor in the draft clause being retained
 Then, after the bill was held up in con- ference for so long time, the President again came to the rescue Wednesday ne called leaders of both political parties to the W hte House for a conference over pending legislation, the most important of which was the army bill, and Thursday the committees reached an agreement. Thus he has again proven his fitness to be the head of the Am ercan government.
 In a few days Fairbanks may expect to hear just how the conscriptlon provision IS to be handled. It is not known here just how closely the recommendations of the general staff were followed There is slight change i'll the age limit. The general staff's plan specified a minimum Ot nineteen years, while the bill as passed raised this to twenty The number of men to be drawn from this district will probably be made public shortly, and Fairbanks will then have some basis upon which to accomplish her military preparedness.
 DISPATCHES state that submarine losses during the past week have decreased slightly. This may be by reasons the which might be that there many boats to shoot at as there were a month ago.
 THE fact that the United States Steel Corporation took $2500O0O0 worth of the Liberty" bond issue would to indicate that the is taking chances of running short on working capital.
 WHEN the senate amended the army bill that number of placed at 100000. Yesterday our evening contemporary it boost to 5OOOOO. Don't be impatient; give the colonel time and the govern ment won't need to send any troops to Europe all.
 ELEVEN thousand employees of big tire com pany have subscribed to s3.ooO.oOo worth of stock which will keep their work from being tiresoms.