The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-05-18
Perfected Fighting Machine
Automatically Into Effect.
Also Throws National Guard
Into Federal Service.
END d MONTHS AFTER WAR
Senate Would Kill Conservation
After That Period.
Intensive Training at Once Will
Be the Program.

army bill had been perfected in both
houses of congress today and sent to
President Wilson for his signature.
the senate adopted an amendment to
the war budget bill to put conscrip
ton out of force four months after
the end of the war.
The amendment had the support of
senators who unsuccessfully fought
the CONSUMPTION plan and fought I'M
successfully to confine the new army
to the duration of the war instead
of the existing emergency"
Final legislative formalities were at
tached to the army bill today and it
was prepared for President Wilson's
signature. Speaker Clark affixed his
signature soon after noon and the
parchment was sent to Vice President
MARSHALL for his. President Wilson's
approval was the next step.
Instead of being sent direct to the
White House as most measures are:
the bill was sent first to Secretary of
War Baker for his persual. Baker
went over the measure with his mill
tary heads at some length, thereby
causing delay in it reaching the pres
ident
Then Comes Proclamation.
Little if any ceremony was antici-
pated over this momentous event.
The task completed. the president
will issue a proclamation, long pre-
pared, calling upon the youth of the
nation to gather at appointed registra-
ton places on a fixed day and sign
the war department cards from which
the process of selection can be de-
duced.
The bill includes provision for
bringing the regular army to war
strength; drafting of the national
guard into federal service; and raising
it to war strength; procuring 100000
men from 81 to 80 inclusive for the
first great national army-and anoth-
er when required; raising four volun
teer divisions-the Roosevelt pfan-if.
the president desires.
What the chief executive will do is
an unanswered question, tho the gen
eral belief here is that Roosevelt will
be side tracked for the time being,
while tho selective draft system is
put into effect.
Signing of the bill will automati-
cally put into effect a perfected war
machine evolved by master minds in
the war department.
Certain exemptions will be made,
mainly based upon elimination of
those with dependent families.
Use Jury System.
The new army must comply with
rigid physical standards.
AS the registration will show
vastly greater number of men than
are required for the first army, the
jury system of selecting the men by
lot will be invoked to pick out those
who are physically acceptable and un-
exempted
Meantime the work of erecting can
comments to house the army will pro
coed The regular army will be ELL
ed by volunteers and the new army
will be called about September I.
Within a month or two months,
the national guardsmen will be called
into federal service.
Intensive training of the new men
will start Immediately after the call
and continue a few months. when the
troops will be ready for service In the
trenches of Europe.
The regular army as now constituted
will form the basis of the training
system, whipping the recruits into
shape on new lines. drawn from the
lessons taught by our observers
abroad.
The army will have greater pay than
ever before, as the rank and file will
receive SIS month above the present
rates.
1t will be necessary to ship some of
the recruits into the south, as the bulk
of the training environments will be
there.
The fact that twelve of them will be
southeastern departments will make
| that division-under General Leonard
! Wood-far more important than the
/ from the eastern department
For and Against T. r.
| During the debate on the bill in the
senate last night, Senator Stone as
sailed the Harding amendment au-
! thorizing acceptance of Colonel
Roosevelt's offer to raise a division of
volunteers for service in France. He
/ charged the colonel with unfitness to
command and declared the amend
| ment was ''smeared all over with poll
| tics"
This drew vigorous fire from Sena-
! tor johnson, one of the coloneFs clos
est friends Senator Johnson plead
| ed for more Roosevelts and more di-
| visions to follow him."
/ This amendment was an outra-
geous thing to put into the BILL" de-
clared Senator Stone. Il am going to
/ talk about this as the Roosevelt
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