The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1917-04-20
To COME
OVER ARMY BILL

Washington, D. c., April 18-The
lines were drawn today for great
fight betwee the administration and
opponents in the House of the plan
to rase the army by selective draft
While President Wilson was at the
capital telling senators and represen-
tatives that no compromise between
the volunteer and draft systems could
be accepted with safety to the nation,
the House military committee by a
vote of II to adopted amendments
to the administration bill authorizing
calls for volunteers in increments of
to raise the army by selective draft
shall be applied only in the event the
President decides that the forces
needed cannot be raised and maintain
ed under the volunteer plan.
Chairman Dent headed the anti-draft
forces and will introduce the amend
ed bill in the House tomorrow with
view to pressing it for passage Mon
day.
Representative Kahn. of California,
ranking Republican member of the
committee, is preparing a report to be
signed by the minority and will join
in leading the fight on the floor for
the administration.
The Senate committee formally vot-
ed 10 to today to report virtually
without change the bill as originally
drafted by the general staff and APP
proved by the President and will pres
ent it tomorrow The measure may be
passed by the Senate without waiting
for action in the House
The President made very plain to
those with whom he talked his de-
termination to have the staff bill
enacted. There seems no doubt that
he will appeal directly to the countr
if necessary, and tell the people that
in'the opinion of the military advisers
of the government as we'll as admin
istration officials, national safety de-
mands that the army be provided un-
der the plans prepared by the army
experts after long study and consider
alton of lessons learned from the war
in Europe
The War Department holds that
every weakness of the volunteer sys-
tenn would be perpetuated under the
House committees scheme. A feature
OF the amendments providing for the
selection of the officers from local
units is regarded by officials as partic-
ularly obnoxious to sound military
principles. They say the task of pro-
vidlng competent officers under this
restriction would be rendered ten
times more difficult and the efficiency
OF the army to be built greatly reduc-
ed from the very start. The Presi-
dent thinks that full opportunity for
volunteers is offered under the staff
bill, since there will be room for 724,-
0OO voluntary enlistments in the reg
ular army and National Guard for the
duration of the war In addition, the
door is thrown wide open to men who
are qualified to become officers.
The chief amendment of the House
committee follows
That the President be and he is
hereby authorized to call for 100000
volunteers under and in accordance
with the act of Congress, approved
April Is, 1914, (the army reorganiza-
ton acD.
That in the event IT becomes nee
essary to raise an additional force of
oOO,OO0 men the President
be, and he is hereby, authorized to call
such additional force by volunteers in
the same manner. Such volunteer
army shall be apportioneG among the
various states and territories and the
District of Columbia, according to
population, raised in regimcnt1 units
or parts thereof:
Provided that such volunteer forces
shall be recruited in local units as far
as practicable and company officers
may be appointed from sucn units up
on passing, such reasonable and prac-
ticable examinations as to fitness, as
the President may direct
And, provided further, that upon
the completion Of the enrolment as
provided in this act, and in the event
the Pesident decides that such addi-
tional force or forces cannot be eff
fectually raised and maintained as
herein provided, the President be, and
he is hereby authorized to raise and
organize the same by the selective
draft, as herein provided"