Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1916-1918, 1917-05-11
House and Senate Conferees
Agree to Measure in Form
Practically as President
Requested at Conference
With Leaders.
BOTH HOUSES MUST
TAKE VOTE AGAIN

washington, ID. c., May 1G-Confer
ees ON the army bill reached an agree,
ment today and the measure will be-,
reported to the two houses for confir.
nation as soon as possible.
Ihe conferees made the age limit of
: those subject to the selective draft 21
to 80 years inclusive, in place of the
Il to n limits in the senate bill and
II to 40 in the house bill.
| Inc amendment put In by the SEN
ate permitting Colonel Roosevelt to
raise four divisions for service in
| France was eliminated, as was anoth-
er authorizing the raising OF three vol
| unteer regiments for border patrol
duty
The senate amendments prohibiting
the sale Of liquor at army camps and
otherwise safeguarding the morals OF
the troops were. retained.
PRIVATES WAGES $25,
| the bill contains provision to in
crease the pay OF enlisted men to $25
a month and increase the pay Of other
grades below commissioned officers,
but not proportionately.
Representatives Kahn and Anthony,
republicans, announced they would not
sign the conference report Anthony
was opposed to eliminating the Roose.
velt amendment and Kahn opposed the
prohibitory sections, maintaining he
could not approve provisions maxine
!. the -aji"d ties appee-- N b. esssysses
drunken OF an immoral nation
Chairman Chamberlain of the senate
military committee said he expected
to report the agreement today but be-
cause the house must act, the bill may
not be finally agreed to until later
in the week
EXEMPTION RULE AN OBSTACLE.
! Elimination Of the Roosevelt amend
ment is expected to arouse some op-
position in the senate, where It was
put In by large vote. An agreement,
however is expected.
The prohibition amendment was
modified So that while liquor wine or
beer cannot be sold or possessed on
military reservation or camps it will
not be unlawful to furnish or give them
to men in uniform.
One OF the difficulties in reaching an
agreement was over the tribunals
which shall pass on exemptions from
the selective draft. The provision ac
cepted gives right Of appeal from
first to a second. No military men are
to be on either and they are to be dis
tfnct from the courts Of the United
States or the states.
RESULT OF CONFERENCE.
The outcome of todsy's deliberations
| by the joint committee indicated that
yesterdays conference Mt the white
house between President Wilson and
leaders Of both houscC had borne fruit.
The president made requests for quick
action on the army bill and on his
measure for the appropriation OF 81
600 100000 to build ships.
Following the conference. announce
ment that bill lor the ship building
| appropriation would bc introduced at
| once, and the house confcrees present
ed to the senate members of the com
mittee proposal for a compromise on
the draft bill which was used today as
basis for the committees report.
LEADERS AT MEETING.
The congressional leaders who par,
ticipated in the conference with the
president lasting an hour and half
are:
Senators Reed. Underwood, Martin.
James. Walsh, Wolcott, Swanson, King
and Overman, democrats; and Warren,
Knox, Lodge, Gallingcr, Smoot and
Jones, republicans; Speaker Clark and
Representatives Flood. Fitzgerald,
Sherley. Glass. Alexander and Padgett,
democrats: and Kahn. Lenroot, Gillet,
and Greene, republicans.
The president laid before the sena-
tors and representatives the full de-
tails Of the ravages Of submarine war.
| fare as communicated to him by the
members Of the British and French
war missions and dwelt on the neces-
sity of the United States building
| ships with all possible speed in order
that there shall be no diminution in
| the flow OF supplies to the allies.
! HOPE FOR SPY BILL.
! Senate leaders today had not aban-
! doned hope for a final action on the
administration espionage bill by Satur-
day night despite failure yesterday to
get the senate to agree to vote at
that time. This feeling was based up
on the fact that some of the parliamen-
tary difficulties in the way OF the bill
had been removed.
president OF CUBA
1