Bisbee daily review., 1917-04-20
WILSON PENS REASONS FOR ARMY DRAFT
 BILL
President In Public Letter To Kansas Congressman Shows Determined Stand Against Volunteer Plan.
CONTROVERSY TO OPEN IN SENATE TOMORROW
Administration Leaders Be- Geve Ultimate Show Down Will Find Selective Draft To Be Victorious.

WASHINGTON April 1e.- As
 one step toward meeting opposi-
 ton in congress to the admins
 tration's army plans, President
 Wilson sent a letter 10 Represen-
 tatiVe Helverine of Kansas ex-
 plaining what is meant by seIee-
 tive draft and expressing earnest
 hope that the bill drafted by the
 war department would he passed.
 Wilson Sees Victory
 The President and administra-
 ton leaders in congress are conf
 dent of the ultimate enactment of
 the army bill without material
 changes. The fight probably will
 begin in the senate. where the bill
 will be taken up as soon as the
 espionage measure is disposed of.
 Chairman Chamberlain of the mil
 itsry committee submitted his
 favorable report today.
 Dent is Obdurate
 Chairman Dent of the house com mittee formally presented the report of his committee offering the bill in amended form. authorizing the Presi- dent to call for volunteers in incre- ments of 50O.OOO and providing for the selective draft only after the voiun- teer plan has failed.
 Kahn Backs Wilson
 Representative Kahn of California ranking Republican member of the house committee. who will be one Of the administration chief spOkesmen during the fight in the house. had long conference with war department officials today.
 WASHINGTON. April l9. - Presi- dent Wilson sent a letter to Represen- tative Helvering of Kansas explain ing and strongly supporting the sd- minisiration's army bill with it's SO lectiye conscription plan The letter indicated the purpose of the adminis- iratiOn 10 insist upon enactment of the measure vigorously. IL follows,
 Some Misunderstanding
 
 ter of April 19. because I have real ized the truth of what you say from my own observations. 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. ! think. very clearly set forth in the bill draft ed by the war department and which l SO earnestly hope the congress will adopt. but it is worth while tO state the idea which underlies the bill lit- tie more fully.
 Distributes Service Best
 'I took occasion the other day in an address to the people of the country to point out the many forms or patri- otic service that were open to them and to emphasize the fact that the mil itary part of the service was by no means the only part. and perhaps. all things considered. not the most vital part. Our object is a mobilization of all the productive and active forces of the nation and their development to the highest percent of cooperation and efficiency and the idea of the SC lective draft is that those should be chosen for service in the army who can be most readily spared from the of the other activities which the country must engage in and to which it must devote great deal of it's best energy and capacity
 Volunteer Wastefui
 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 centers Of business who ought not tO come but ousht 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 gre sustained in the meantim.
 Universal Obligations
 The principle of th. sslssstvs