The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-04-24
Applause Received Indicative
That Sentiment Against Sc
lective Draft Strong in House
ADAMSON STRONG FOR
CONSUMPTION PLAN
Says He ls Overwhelmed by
Volunteers for Bomb-proof
Positions, But Few Heard
From For Firing Line

Washington. April 23.---Furious
battles between the friends and en-
emies OF the administration plan 20
raise an army by selective draft was
waged in both senate and house to-
DAY 1t was the opening Of the de-
bate in the house Of representatives.
but in the senate the general discus
sion OF the measure had gotten under
way Saturday and the resumption or
the poiemics attracted far less atten-
ton. The real interest in the double
debate conferred in the house. for the
reason that the opponents OF the gem
eral staff plan have fighting chance
10 force the passage of the Dent bill
which Is the committee substitute for
the selective draft plan OF the ad-
ministration. In tho senate an ad-
ministration victory Is admittedly n
foreeone conclusion.
Chairman Dent opened the debate
In the house today with a defense Of
the volunteer system OF army enroll
4 ment He admitted 10 n feeling ~
embarrassment at finding himself ont
OF alignment with the president as the
titular head of his own party.
Bat" said Dent, II we are willing
70 say that we will adopt a resolution
authorizing the president TO draft an
army or to raise one by the volunteer
method and to draft all the re-
sources Of the country, and do all
this without any action whatsoever
on the part Of congress We might as
well adopt q resolution doing that
- specifically and adjourn"
Relieves Would he Volunteers.
Expressing the belief that there
would he no difficulty in raising an
srmy Of one million or even twp
million men by voluntary enlistment,
Chairman Dent asserted that there
was 4 very general misconception OK
istent among the people of the United
States which had been worked up
by a certain element OF the press.
Also the chairman asserted that the
Dent bill lid not delay the uphuildin =
OF an army by the CONSUMPTION
method even If the volunteer method
first should fail
The applause which greeted Chair
man DENTS remarks was quite en-
thusiastic II came In large meas
ure from the Democratic side OF the
chamber hut there Was a sprinklinc
OF hAndc'appirr from the Republican
side 40 well.
As the debate proceeded II became
very evident that the noise was a.
least on the side OF the committee
bill qrf arainst tho supporters Of the
aa-,irlstratien.
Representative Tilaon. Republican,
81 Connecticut, speaking for the com
-aittee minority followed Chairman
Tent. defending the general staff pie n.
y, SAD that the minority had even
seen At TO modify the phraseology and
,,s ~ the terms of the general star
plan, hut not the principles enunciat-
ed therein
Tells OF Volunteer System.
Representative Lunn, OF New York,
| A Democrat. said ne had served him
self under the volunteer system al
army organization in the Cuban cam
paign OF 1875 and told the house Of
faults and flaws in the volunteer sys.
j tenn which that war disclosed.
| Representative Shallenberger. a
Nebraska Democrat. and one of the
committee members who stood nv
Chairman Dent in his disagreement
with the administration. pleaded with
the house to pass the Dent bill. He
condemned the general staff plan as
an effort TO Prussianize the United
States.
representative Richard Oiney and
Of Massa chusettes. followed;
IN the creation OF an army we
LOOK to tho commander-tn-ch chief for
II 'aG nee, 1t SdIU, StS II CONSERVATIVE
business man | ar willing TO heed the
advice of the COMMUNICATIVE chief
the secretary OF war and competent
army officers.
II wish we had begun such a system
year ago. We would now have In
training million men
Representative Adamson, OF
| Georgia. unheralded as an advocate Of
the conscrip'ion plan. surprised the
house with a speech in which he
urged that the president be empower
service in war time whether civil or
military.
+ Overwhelmed for Bomb Proof jobs.
They talk of volunteering" sal
Judge Adamson. II am overwhelmed
with letters every day from men who
want TO volunteer to serve their coun-
try In some bomb-proof clerkshi n.
Rut I'm not overwhelmed with ap-
plications to serve at the front"
Representative Greene. OF Con-
necticut. a Spanish war veteran and
also supporter Of the adrinistra-
tons contention. urged that conscrip-
ticn be initiated at once.
Raise an army by volunteering
and after that every other army thar
you put into the field through the
conscription method Is stamped as an
army OF sulkers and towards" he
said.
The debate IN the senate brougf. d
stirring defense OF the administration
plan from Senator Wadsworth Re-
publican. of New York. Senator
Weeks. Of Massachusetts, also a Re-
publican. took the administration side
@or the volunteer system. Senator
Thomas Democrat. OF Colorado. spoke
for a short while and at $3.50 o'clock
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