Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-14
lis ACT VOID AFTER
!! DRAFTING A MILLION
New and important Question
Now Discussed by Congress-
men and Others.
MORE LEGISLATION limited
MORE LEGISLATION limited

VIII the draft act die and become o
no effect after the drafting Of the frs
million men?
This is new and important question
connected with the adjective draft sys
tenn now being asked on Capitol Hill
where members of Congress are re
ceiving all told hundreds of letter
daily making the most pertinent in
quiries into the limitations of the re
cent act for raising an army.
The possibility that further draf
Legislation may be required at thi
session Of Congress has reopened man.
discussions connected with the new
military policy; one Of which, it will
finch there was such a row when thu
bill was in the House and later in tn
Senate.
Members who discussed this toda!
pointed out that while the War De
partment plans indicate that the entir'
and arranged in patches so that every
man will know his place in the frs
call as well as others. the draft &C
permits only the drafting OF 100000
men.
Draft Covered by Two Sections.
In the third section of the draft act
the President is authorized ito raise by
draft as herein provided. organize and
equip an additional force of 100000 en-
listed men" The word additional re-
fers to what is carried in the preceding
section. namely, the authority TO TAKE
into the national service the organized
militia, National Guard reserves. etc.
The fourth section provides for au-
thority for the President ito raise and
begin the training OF an additional
force of 100000 men,"
trryN that
the draft act carries in the way OF rails
ing an army by the selectfve draft sys-
term. Other sections outline the regis
tration. etc, but after 100000 men are
selected for military service. according
to members of Congress-. the drafting
power of the government has died.
This matter, which has not yet been
made a matter of popular knowledge.
is to be taken care Of Members OIL the
military affairs committee, with whom
said that they had paid little attention
to the legal limitations of the drafting
authority because they knew the intent
of Congress was to raise the required
strength by draft.
IF the draft authority becomes null
and void after drafting million men,
Congress will undoubtedly pass a reso-
luton permitting the drafting OF an
other million, or whatever number the
military authorities require. This is
But here's point that comes up in
the congressional correspondence and
conversation: viii an attempt be made
to reopen the question of age limits
when the necessary new draft legisla-
ton is up for discussion in Congress?
Many members believe that it will. and
base their opinion on the differences
and squabbles in both houses of Con-
gress on the subject of age. limits for
enlisted men. Some members believe
an attempt will be made to make the
age limits for the second million men
between twenty-one and forty years.
On the other hand. the military at
fairs committee is not disposed to take
it that way. The House originally put
the limits much farther apart than
they are now. but that was really be-
cause the men in charge Of the bill
gave the House full liberty and let it
amend 1t any way the majority saw fit
in order to please everybody and get
votes for the vital principle-the draft
itself. The Senate cut the limits down
to mon between twenty-one and TWEEN
ty-seven, and a compromise between
the two bodies was reached making the
drafted ages between twenty-one and
thirty.
The military affairs committees at
the Capitol understand that the army
heads do not want enlisted men over
the age Of thirty; that the fighting age
is below that. and for that reason
there 10 not as much chance as there
might otherwise be that the age limits
will be stretched for the second million
men: nor will the requisite supple
mentary legislation touch on this point