The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-25
WHY DRAFT SYSTEM IS NEEDED
SECRETARY OF WAR SAYS MEN
MAY NOT RESPOND TO CALL
FOR VOLUNTEERS.
way is Cleared for Action on Admin
1stration Measure This week.-Mrs..
horfty With Wilson, While Majority
OF Committee Favor Volunteer
Measure, Without Con -cription Fca
ture.

asiington, April I'll Pres;dent
4 " ">"h : ii%h ~ or-aniZc q ,,-5,. tir,-
| army in accordance wi5n tn ADVICE
oi the war department and the army
general staff will begin in earnest
Monday in both houses of congress.
In the senate today the admins
tration bill was formally started on
its way to a vote. There was some
debate, parliamentary tangles were
disposed of and the way was clear.
ID for uninterrupted consideration of
the measure.
In the house both the majority an
minority reports were presented from,
the military committee and the bill
Will come up Monday with Repre-
sentative Kahn, ranking Republican
member, leading the committee mi
nority's fight for the administration
plan unamended. while Chairman
Dent, heading the majority of the
committee, directs the opposition urg
ing trial Of a volunteer system be-
fore resorting to the selective draft
of the war department plan.
The minority report, signed by
eight members Of the committee
rests for authority on a 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 II others, says
in part:
"The bill authorizes but does no.
direct the president to issue a cal
for a volunteer army Of 100000 in
the first place and Of an additiona,
force of 100000, if necessary, under
the law now in existence.
"The bill further authorizes the
president to proceed at once with tn
registration of all male citizens be
tween the ages Of FL and 40,
provided in the plan of the war de-
partment for a draft. SO that all
of the machinery authorizing the
draft of 100000 for the first force
nd of the additional 100000 will he
put in operation at once.
Ut will require, according to tn
t'stimony of the secretary of war be
,ore the military committee, at least
| three months and probably longer tc
compete this reg ,tration. Ir
he meantime if the president sec.
he is authorized to call for vol
nteers and on the completion of tn
registration he has the absolute pow
to decide whether he will take ar
NY of volunteers or organize or
" draft
'The bill provides that organiza
lions of all forces other than the regu
ar army shall be composed of me
no come from and of officers an
pointed from the same State or local
ty as far as practicable.
Both the volunteer and the draf
features of the bill authorize the
president to refuse to accept either
by enlistment or draft the services
of persons needed in the industrial
pursuits Of the country"
Secretary Bakers letter, included in
the minority request, was written as
final plea from the military branch
of the government in behalf of the
administration bill.
L have a deep conviction that any
compromise of the principles govern
ing the bill submitted by the depart
ment for the raising Of a new army
would be attended by unfortunate re-.
Suits" 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
men above the age 70 25 who may
be moved to volunteer and by equal
| izing the terrns and condition of SER
vice in the regular army, National
Guard and additional forces, gives
such volunteers entire equality with
all others in the national forces.
II have s,Ldied every report I can
secure Of the use Of the volunteer sys-
tenn abroad and in our own countr,
| and 1 believe it to be true that in
| every place where it has been tried
whatever success it has had has been
due to system of compulsion more
harassing and almost as drastic as