Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-08-30
MAN POWER BILL
PASSED BY HOUSE
All Amendments Tending to
Handicap Provost-Marshal-
General Eliminated.
MUST CLAIM EXEMPTION
No Badges for Registrants Ex-
empted for Industrial or Ag-
ricultural Pursuits.

WASHINGTON, August 2s-T The
man-power bin. stripped by the con-
ferees of the Senate and House of
every amendment Objectionable to the
War Department, finally was passed by
the House to-day without a dissenting
vote. Similar action is looked for in
the Senate tomorrow, SO that the
signature OF the President will make
the bill law by Saturday.
In the form in which the bill was
reported by the conferees to the House,
all OF the amendments which might
have operated to handicap the provost
marshal-generai in calling the men of
eighteen to forty-fve into immediate
service were eliminated The anti
strike amendment. the amendment for
the drafting of resident aliens. the
Penrose amendment, excusing the reg
istrants from claiming exemption, and
the France amendment, for the wear
ing of badges by those exempted for
agricultural or industrial pursuits, all
Amendments which stay in the bill
are those which permit officers to OBJ
tain their uniforms from the govern
] technical education @ @ Of % soldiers, am and the the
provision that the wives of soldiers and
sailors shall not be disqualified from
accepting government positions.
DEBATE OVER CONSUMPTION
OF ALLIED NATIONALS
When the conference report was
taken up in the House there was a
Which for he dra
ing OF the subjects of "cobelligerent"
countries residing in America. This
previously. was aimed at the so called
"alien slackers," but it went out of the
bill in conference.
Mr.. McCulloch demanded vote OF
the House on the action Of the con-
ferees, and made a motion to recon-
init the BILL with instructions to in
sert the amendment and report the
measure at once to the House. The
motion was defeated. lis 10 &c. Mr..
McCulloch and Mr.. Burnett tAlabama).
tee, spoke in favor, OF the motion Mr.:
Burnett characterised as towards"
those subjects Of the allied countries
who take refuge in treaty regulations
to remain In this country and keep
out of the fighting.
The SECTION IL the bill /, Irovid,rE
on public lands under the homestead
act also provoked considerable discus
sion.S Representative Ferris. of okla
Committee, said the section was loosely
drawn: and that it would merely prove
fat pickinGs" for all the claim attor-
neys In the, United States.
PROPOSAL OPENS DOOR
TO WHOLESALE FRAUDS
'T don't want to be. in the position
Of blocking the adoption OF the con-
terence report On lue plii, MT. FeTTlS
said, but We are doing something
here that Will simply open UP the door
to wholesale frauds. We propose to
allow every men in the army, even
those under twenty-one. to file with
any official in this country or abroad
claim to $40 acres of the public land.
This privilege. extended to 100000
men. would call for more land than the
government now owns. but it would
enable every claim attorney in the
country to prey upon the credulity of
the soldiers and get their money. while
the soldiers will get no land"
Mr.. Ferris said he would make 1t his
business at once to put through Con-
Eress supplementary act. which will
prevent the soldiers from being the
victims Of such attorneys. Chairman
Dent, Of the Military Affairs Commit
tee. who WAS in charge of the confer
ence report, promised to support him
in such A measure.
The final session of the conference
was attended by Provost-Marshal-Ge
eral Crowder, who voiced his cpposi-
tion to the Penrose amendment propos-
ing that registrants should not be re-
quired to claim exemption or deferred
classification. General Crowder said
this provision would interfere serious
ly with plans already adopted for the
new registration. The regulations will
require the local draft boards. rather
than the registrants. to Initiate exemp-
tions, General Crowder said.