The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-03-14
OMPULSORY
SERVICE BILL
IS EXPECTED
Believed Consumption Will Be
Authorized at Special Ses-
sion
SENATOR LAFOLLETTE
DISCUSSES MEASURE
BY gibson GARDNER.


Washington, March 13.-Universal
scription-will be authorized by The
special session OF congress which is
soon to meet. At least, such is the
administrations plan. President Will
son, it is y, understood fayors, this
law. Only the, action of the little
group of willful, . men prevented, its
adoption as part. of, the army lappro.
priaiion bill in, the, closing Holra, Of
the session Just ended. '''''' +" %!
g.; T. Against consc:ipt;on. ,,,.
It is now disclosed that The !ljil'rs!
ter threatened by LaFollel.o was 7di:
rected, not 20. much against the arm
ed ships bill as against the attempt
to authorize , transcription. He con.
tends that anything SO Important rs
the adoption Of universal military
training or service ought to he only
after full and public debate. Discuss
ing the matter in connection with the
proposed cloture resolutions: LaFol-I
lette said: war r,inen, ',.'."'.
= 'The army bill was presented with
a provision never before dared to be
presented to- an American congress
with universal rconscription or uni
vcrsal military, training embodied in
1t. ..-., -..,
"You pile up legislation Of that
Sort" he continued, land then. 4S or
SO hours before the end of the SEES
sion, you bring in bill that trenches
on the constitutional authority OF con-
gress and demand that debate shall
be made to conform. With this sort
of rule and an iron hand laid on
this body from outside, with q con-
gress that has reduced itself in a lit
tie less than three years to little less
than rubber stamp, do you not think
this sort Of closure would be pretty
effective?" s..a... g.
w.: Taken From Bill.
The compulsory service legislation,
to which ,LaFollette referred, was
contained in certain paragraphs add.
ed to the army appropriation bill.
These paragraphs we're taken from
the Chamberlain bill, reported few
days before the close of congress,
from the senate committee On mill.
tary affairs. A subcommittee Of this
committee conducted an elaborate &c;
ries of hearings and embodied them
in a report signed by Chamberlain
Brady and Thomas. But this report
was never printed and therefore new
er was submitted to the senate.
Tho b:!l, which was based OIL the
Chamberlain. committee hearings, pro
videa for six months compulsory mill
larry ia ming and would have broush;
into such training 100000 boys, aged
Is, e;rTy year: it also made such
trained men liable to nina years ser
! vice in time. of war; Il was annollnc
ed by Senator Chamberlain that nr
attempt would be made to pass this
bill at the session about to close
since it could not be properly consid
cred or debated in the time at the
disposal of the senate. But under
stress of the excitement stirred by
prospect of war with Germany, this
plan was abandoned and the compul
sorry service features of the Chamber
lain bill were added as a rider" tt
the military appropriation bill.
The adoption Of the cloture ruiz
will have one good result. In gen
eral it will discourage the practice 81
a ''log-jam' at the close of each ses
sion for the purpose of forcing actor
on bad bills without debate or amend
ment. Even pork BILL. like a rive'
and harher grab, with two-thtrdt
majority IN its favor, viii have to b.
brought to the front early and be sub
mitted to a certain amount of discus
sion.