The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-04-23
ARMY MEASURE
FIGHT BEGINS
Minority Report Favors the
Administrators
Proposals
AND is HEADED BY
A REPUBLICAN
Minority Report Favors the
Trial of Volunteer Sys-
TEN Before Draft

Washington. D. c., April 90. President
Wilson's fight to organize a war.t time
army in accordance with the advice of
the war department and the army gen
eral staff began in earnest at Washington
to-day in both houses of Congress.
In the Senate Saturday the admins
tration bill, supported by Senator Cham
berlain of the military committee and
majority of his committee associates,
was formally started on its way to a
vote. There was some debate, parlia-
mentary tangles were disposed OF and
the way cleared for uninterrupted con-
sideration of the measure
In the House both the majority and
minority reports were presented from
the military committee and the bill
comes up with Representative Kahn,
rankign Republican leading the com
mittee minority fight for the adj
ministration's plan unamended, while
Chairman Dent, leading the ma
jority of the committee, directs the OPP,
position urging trial OF volunteer sys-
TEN before resorting to the selective
draft of the war department plan.
The minority report, signed by eight
members Of the committee, rests for au.
thority on a letter from Secretary Baker
to Chairman Dent, declaring the opinion
that any compromise on the depart
ment's plan would be attended by I'M
fortunate results"
The majority report, signed by Chair
man Dent and IL others, says in part:
"The bill authorizes, but does not direct
the president to issue call for a volun.
teer army of 100000 in the first place
and of an additional force Of 100000 if
necessary, under the law now in exist
ence.
"The bill further authorizes the pres
ident to proceed at once with the regis
tration of all male citizens between the
ages of q and 40, as provided in the plan
of the war department for draft, so
that all OF the machinery authorizing the
draft OF 100000 for the first force and of
the additional 500 900 will be put in OPP
Grafton at once.
1T will require, according to the tes-
timony of the secretary of war before
the military committee, at least three
months, and probably longer to complete |
this registration In the mean i
time, if the president sees fit he il au
thorized to call for volunteers, and upon
he completion Of the registration he has
The absolute power to decide whether
re will take an army of volunteers or
organize one by draft,
"The bill provides that organizations
If forces, other than the regular army,
hall be composed of men who come
rom, and of officers appointed from the
anne state or locality as far as practical
DE.
Both the volunteer and the draft fea
ures of the bill authorized the president
o refuse to accept either by enlistment
II draft the services of persons needed
n the industrial pursuits OF the coun-
ry."
Baker Voices Final Plea.
Secretary Bakers letter, included in
he minority report, was written as
nal plea from the military branch OF
he government in behalf OF the admin
stration bill.
Il have deep conviction that any com
romse of the principles governing the ,
i'll submitted by the department for
be raising of new army would be at,
ended by unfortunate results" he wrote.
"The bill as drawn preserves so much
t the volunteer system as can be pre- I
arved without embarking on the exper-
nent Of mixed system of draft and
1t makes place for several
undred thousand men above the age OF
). who may be moved TO volunteer, and
Y equalizing the terms and conditions e
service in the regular army, National a
uard and additional forces, given with ,
i Others in the national forces.
"The drafting provision starts at the a