Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-04-22

Washington, April 21.-President
Wilson's fight to organize a wartime
army, in accordance with the advice
of the war department and the army
general staff, will begin In earnest
Monday in both houses of congress,
In the senate today the administra-
ton bill, supported by Senator Cham
berlain, chairman of the military
committee and majority of his COM
mittee associates, was started on its
way to a vote. There was some de-
bate. parliamentary tan6 IL were dis
posed Of and the way scIe rid fJF III
interrupted consideration of the
measure,
In the house both the majority and
minority reports were presented from
the military committee and the bill
will come up Monday. with Repre-
sentative Kahn, ranking republican,
leading the committees minority fight
for the administration plan un-
amended, while Chairman Dent, head
ing the majority of the committee,
directs the opposition urging trial of a
volunteer system before resorting to
the selective draft of the war depart
ment plan.
Baker Opposes Compromise.
The minority report, signed by
eight members of the committee,
rests for authority on letter from
Secretary Baker to Chairman Dent,
declaring the opinion that any COM
promise on the departments plan
would be attended by unfortunate
results"
The majority report, signed by
Chairman Dent and eleven others,
says in part:
''The bill authorizes but does not
direct the president to issue a call for
volunteer army of 10000 in the
first place and of an additional force
of 100000, if necessary, under the law
now in existence.
The bill further authorizes the
president to proceed at once with the
registration of all male citizens be-
tween the ages of II and 40 as pro-
vided in the plan of the war depart
ment for draft So that all of the
machinery authorizing the draft of
100000 for the first force and of the
additional 100000 will be put in oper-
alton at once.
Will Save Much Delay.
at will require, according to the
testimony of the secretary of war be-
fore the military committee, at least
three months and probably longer to
complete this registration. In the
meantime, if the president sees fit, he
Is authorized to call for volunteers
and upon the completion of the reg
istration he has absolute power to de-
eide whether he will take an army of
volunteers or organize one by draft
'The bill provides that organizati ton
of all forces, other than the regular
army, shall be composed of men from,
and of officers appointed from, the
same state or locality as far as prac-
ticable.
Both the volunteer and the draft
features of the bill authorize the pres
ident to refuse to accept either by
enlistment or draft the services of
persons needed in the Industrial pur-
suits of the country"
Secretary Bakers letter, included
in the minority report, was written
as a final plea from the military
branch of the government in behalf
of the administration bill.
Bakers Statement.
Il have deep conviction that
any compromise of the principles
governing the bill submitted by the
department for the raising of a new
army would be attended by unfortu-
nate results" he wrote.
"The bill as drawn preserves so
much of the volunteer spirit as can
be preserved without embarking on
the experiment of mixed system of
draft and volunteering. It makes
place for several hundred thousand