Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-24
TO PASS ARMY
CONSUMPTION BILL FRIDAY
Administration Measure Ger
tain to Be Accepted in
Some Form

house and senate shortly after noon to-
day went into the final stages of the
problem of raising an army Of 100000
men for defense of the nation.
] II was the first day of debate in the
house. and the second day for the SEN
ate.
| It still was believed that both houses
will have acted by Thursday or Friday
| by the latest.
! The CONSUMPTION feature. in some form
at least. will pass both houses.
While house and senate debated. the
| Roosevelt angle-the colonefs plan to
head a volunteer division TO the French
/ trenches-was vigorously injected into
l-the situation. And ii was significant
that old line Republicans-Senators
Harding and Lodge-are behind a well
laid campaign that has for it's object the
granting of permission for ex-President
/ Roosevelt to plant the American flag
on Europe's battle front.
Senator Harding. Ohio, started the
Roosevelt fight by introducing an
amendment to the administration bill
authorizing the president TO raise by
voluntary enlistment four infantry di-
visions-about 1905 men. The amend
ment does not name Roosevelt but
means him.
In opening the senate debate Sena-
tor Weeks said the people demand con-
| scription or would demand il If they
were correctly informed.
When war. was declared with Ger
many" said he "the president was d.
rected TO employ the entire naval and
militia forces OF the United States to
bring il to a successful conclusion, and
we pledged all the resources of our
country for that purpose. The question
we must now consider is how we are
going to give the president what we
have directed him TO employ.
Whenever we have engaged in great
war it has been necessary to resort to
draft i'm order TO bring it TO a successful
conclusion. .-.
The question we now must consider
is how we are going to give the presi-
dent what we have decided him to en-
ploy-an army.
Are we going TO do it in a manner
demonstrated over and over again as
i'll divised, ineffective and disastrous.
/ or are we to turn our attention TO the
experience of other countries and take
from the experiences those lessons
! which will enable US TO steer clear CT
the follies of the past?
THAT is really the dividing line be-
tween efficiency and inefficiency.
Whenever We have engaged in
great war il has been necessary to re-
Il sort 10 III OIueA " bAAh6 ~ ~
/ a successful conclusion"
The senator drew attention to the
| failure of the volunteer system in the
revolution and the war of 1872. Re
ferring to the Mexican war he said:
1T required almost the entire twelve
months for which they enlisted to tram
the volunteers in the ways of war, and
I the training having been completed ana
/ the term of enlistment exhausted, prae-
1 mi
/ the service although the war was not
4 over.
AT the end OF the Civil war. our
/ volunteers had acquired a training
which made them comparable 10 any
army that ever existed but the cost OF
| their preparation and the final accom-
plishment was simply appalling.
while our government has oeen
/ most scrupulous in it's efforts TO fulnll
/ IFS obligation to its citizens, it has ben
I too lenient-even In times of great ma
tional peril-in calling upon its citizens
I TO reciprocate.
ct has been said in effect: Those
\ of Won who desire to do your duty may
do so: others may do as they please
and the result has been that most OF
our wars have been unduly prolonged
and before victory has been assured II
has been necessary for us TO employ al
"
! enemies.
THE opposi1ion TO compulsory train
ing is based upon the theory that II
! is not necessary, but when we come 10
l \ great national crisis, we Immediate
! " discover that there is no time Tor
4 the preparation we should nave mace
tyranny. not democracy, has always
I justified itself by suppressing discussion
\ or action as unnecessary.
"Opponents Of universal military
] training have frequently charged that
/ such a system is undemocratic and un-
] American and should not be tolerated In
this country. To that charge I reply
\ that nothing is un-American which a
majority of the American people, after
mature elaboration, decide is good for
/ the country.
There is no doubt in my mind as
10 what the people demand in this in
stance or what they would demand II
! they were correctly informed or given
the time TO study the question"
When the house began debate no limit
was fixed but il was agreed that II
should run on today until o'clock.
/ Chairman Dent, of the military COM
mittee. who favOrs call for volunteers
Il while the conscription registration ma
chinery is being made ready. opened the
Il debate He said that his difference
4 with the administration over adding Of
the volunteer amendment to the
| straightout selective conseription bill
was most embarrassing to him.
/ Il have been to the president and
/ TO the secretary Of war" he said, with
every proposition of compromise on the
i theory that unity of action was more
important than the method Of raising
an army VI ought to be made known
to the country that we will do what is
NECESSARY
Il An extension Of the draft to male cit
izens not eligible to military conscrip-
4 ton to form a service army for food
production was demanded by Represen-
tative Emerson, Ohio, in a resolution to-
\ day.
j. Boys from fifteen to nineteen years
while not at school and Migrants,
\ tramps and all persons found wandering
about the country without visible means
of support would he drafted, rs well
as "aH males unengaged in legitimate
!, business"
president Wilson KEEP in close touch
with the procedure. His immediate ad-
, visers were said to be confident that
| the draft plan would pass.