The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1918-02-27
SECOND DRAFT
CALL IS TIED
UP BY SENATE
Call, Scheduled for April or
May, in Danger Of Post
ponement, It's Said.

WASHINGTON, d. c.. Feb. 81
Congress is so slow in getting action
IN pending draft legislation that the
second draft call which Secretary
Baker recently told members would be
ssued late in April or early in May is
n danger Of postponement.
The provost marshal generals or
sanization can make no authoritative
move to prepare the local draft boards
or mobilization of tho second incre.
nent Of 100000 men until congress
passes the pending bin providing for
changing the basis upon which the
quotas of men to be called from the
rarious states are to be computed.
The administration has determined
cot to distribute the quotas of men re.
luired for service on the basis of reg
stratiOn TO population but upon the
basis of the number Of men in class 1
rs compared to the total registration.
This will eliminate al. unfairness to
localities due to alien population.
Minority May Press Bill.
Legislation to authorize this change
N method of quota distribution has
been pending for some time and the
oil was reported favorably from the
senate committee on military affairs
weeks ago.
Senate leaders said today that Ill.
hess OF Senator Chamberlain. chair
nan Of the military affairs committee,
had been responsible for not pressing
he quota bill in the senate. Senator
Hitchcock, ranking Democratic mem.
he city end will not return for an
other week at least.
THE bill ought to- be passed and
passed at once" Senator WadswOrth
Republican member Of the military af-
airs committee. said today. 1t Is
probable that minority members of the
committee may leap into the breach
and press the measure for action.
Few Farm Workers Called.
Provost Marshal General Crowder
said in a letter to Representative Nc
Neown Of Oklahoma. made public to-
day, that less than .0036 per cent of
AVAILABLE farm laborers in the country
would be called for service in the next
draft. Only .0074 per cent OF available
agricultural workers, he said, we're
called for service in the first draft.
Only 205.731 agricultural workers of
The total of 13,S43.578 were liable for
military service. he said, or 1.4s per
cent
The conclusion that the shortage
IN the farm labor supply is attribut-
able in any substantial degree to the
draft Is shown In most striking and
conclusive way to be erroneous" Gen.
Crowder said The Redistribution of
registrants, he insisted, afforded
wealth Of protection to farm labor
France to Sign Treaty
France and Italy have accepted in
substance the proposed treaties with
The United States respecting military
service Of nationals similar to that
signed with Great Britain and Canada.
Secretary Lansing sent word to Chair
man Flood of the house foreign affairs
committee today that he had received
that word in cablegrams from the
American ambassadors at Paris and
Rome.
The so-called alien Stacker bill.
which would compel military service
of subjects of co-belligerent countries
In the United States. seems certain
to come up for action in the house to.
morrow in spite of administration OPP
position. Before the signing Of the
British and Canadian treaties action
on the bill was deferred upon request
OF the state department.