The sun., 1917-04-20
WRITES A CONGRESSMAN

Army Bill 10 come p 1Of De-
bate in the House and
Senate Next Week.
WASHINGTON. April l9 - President
Wilson hasn't the slightest expectation
of losing his fight for conscription
neither has he the least hope at present
OF winning easily.
The President fired the first gun in
his personal campaign for favorable ac-
ton in the House to-day when he made
public a letter to Representative Guy T.
Helvering Of Kansas. a former Spanish
war volunteer. and one OF the few for
mer volunteers In the House who do
not ardently advocate the principle OF
universal service without resorting to the
volunteer system
The Presidents letter, in reply to one
by Helver!ng. while not the strongest
document of its kind. inasmuch as the
President and his Secretary OF War both
have religiously refrained from indors'ng
universal service or training in time or
peace. is aimed accurately upon gem
eral NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. bl lIit 'hb
principle involved in the application OF
selective conscription at the outbreak or
war.
Welcomes Helverinn's Inquiry.
The President says in part:
Il welcome the inquiry of your letter
of April 10 because | have realized the
truth of what YOU say from my own OBJ
seryatione, namely. that what is meant
to be understood by the selective draft
is not generally understood throughout
/, the country.
THE process OF the draft is. I think.
very clearly set forth in the bill drafted
by the War Department and which | so
earnestly hope the Congress will adopt,
but il Is worth while to state the idea
which underlies the bill a little more
fully.
Il took occasion the other day in an
address to the people of the country to
point out the many forms OF patriotic
service that were open to them and tn
emphasize the fact that the military part
of the service was by no means the only
part. and perhaps. all things considered.
not the most vital part. Our object is Il
mobilization OF all the productive and
active forces of the nation and their
development to the highest point OF CO.
operation and efficiency. and the idea OF
the selective draft is that those should
be chosen for service m the army who
can be most readily spared from the
prosecution of the other activities which
the country must engage IN and to
which il must devote a great deal OF It's
best energy and capacity.
Men and RespOnsibilitics.
The volunteer system does not do
this. When men choose themselves they
sometimes choose without due regard to
their other responsibilities. Men may
come from the farms or from the mines
or from the factories or centres Of hus,-
ness who ought not to come, but ought
TO stand back Of the armies In the field
and see that they get everything that
they need and that the people OF the
country are sustained in the meantime
The principle OF the sSlnCt!ye draft In
short, has at its heart this idea, that
there is q universal obligation to servo
and that public authority should
choose those upon whom the obligation
Of military service shall rest. and also
. in n sense choose those who shall do the
rest of the nations work. The bill IL
/ adopted will do more. ] believe. than
/ any other single instrumentality to Gre
/ ate the impression Of universal service
/ in the army and out Of Il. and If prom
erly administered will he 4 great source
| OF stimulation.
Those who feel that ~ are turning
| away altogether from the voluntary
, principle seem to forget that some 500 .
! 600 men will he needed to fill the ranks
| of the regular army and the Nationa
, Guard and that Il very great field OF
=, ird!vdua! enthusiasm lies there wide
| OPEN
Debate Opens Newt Week.
The army bill Will be taken up Mon
day or Tuesday. ii IL believed, and Will
he debated for at least three days Rep
resentative Kahn professed great on.
oouragement to-day over the number OF
men whose position was by no means
assured who have indicated their sun.
port of the minority views by asking
for time" under the allotment con.
trolled by Kahn's side of the debate.
The majority report of the Senate
strongly arraigning the volunteer sys-
TEN WAS made public to-day. Debate on
the measure also will start in the Sen
ate early next week. II is estimated
that more than two-thirds of the Sena-
tors here will support the hill so an ex.
tended discussion Is not anticipated
Tho minority report OF the House
committee prepared by Representative
Kahn In connection with the seven Others
who will sign II will contend:
That the issue between scIccti,a
conscripton and voluntary enlistment
is an issue between sentimental in
efficiency, backed by popular ignorance
and Misrepresentation. and clean limbed
efficiency and determination TO win.
That those who refuse to accept the
Presidents plan, thirteen members OF
, the Military Affairs Committee. will
fully and indefensibly ignored the cX-
= pert advice and urgent pleas of In,
military branch OF the Government
men who have spent their lives study
ing not only our own military system
have grown UP In other countries
, based on the experiences of the war
we are about to enter.
/ Ignored Expert Teatimon,.
5 That the majority deliberately is-
. nored the testimony of "A British officer
OF seven years experience. who played
prominent part In the recruiting
In England and who testified that the
2 democracy OF England having tried
out both systems. would never again
permit the Government to enter a war
n under the volunteer system.
Q The basis for tho fight in the Senat
3 over the selective conscription plan 9
D raising an army for the defence of u,
= country was laid to-day by tho ma iorit
n report OF the Senate Military Affair
= Committee denouncing In unsparin
terms the volunteer system