New Britain herald., 1918-08-28
NEW DRAFT MEASURE PASSES THE SENATE
Youths Of IS and 19 Included in
 Bill as Adopted

Washington, Aug. 27.-The draft bill is through the senate; it passed unanimously, 75 votes against 0, de- spite the debates on the taking of boys o1 IS and 19, and it carried with It the work or fight amendment
 But nobody seems to know exactly when the youngsters will be called There were conflicting accounts of the war departments intentions in the de- bate, and after the senate had acted On the floor Senator Chamberlain declaring he would not be a party to the deception of the American peo- ple,' said it was the purpose of the war department that the youths shall be in France ''by June 90 next"
 Secretary Baker said last night that boys of IS will be called last in the draft. There will be two draft classes under the new measure, IS to 19 and 19 to 45. The secretary said a pub lished report that there was to be & third classification, embracing men from 19 to 36, who would first be called to the colors, was erroneous. There is no idea, he declared, of re- ferment or preferment of men be- tween 36 and 45.
 The only radical distinction will ap- ply to the Is to 19 class, he said, but he was unable to say how long the de- partment would be able to defer call ing them. Gems. March and Crowder have said that the 18-year- r-old call might be deferred until spring But all have been careful to state that this was dependent on military exig- enCieS
 Senator Chamberlain made his statement about the 1S-year men be- ing in Europe next year in replying to Senator Overman of North Carolina, who said he had been assured by Sec retary Baker that it was not the war departments intention to send them abroad until the other ages have been exhausted. Senator Chamberlain said:
 '"There should be no misunderstand- ing as to what the secretary of war and the department intend to do in this matter. The purpose of the war department is to call these young men into the service and that they shall all be in France by June 30 next. I shall not be a party to the deception of the American people.
 "I know what the record of hear ings before the senate and house mill itarv affairs committee show. l do not know what the secretary of war may have said in some private con- versation. But I know what he and what Gen. March, the chief of staff, said before the committees"
 Chamberlain Reads Testimony.
 He read from the printed testimony to support his contention that it was the purpose to call the boys of IS into the service and to use them. He showed that the young men must be called out by the first of the year If they are to be in France by the last of June, which is the program of the war department.
 II am supporting this bill because the military authorities have said that it is a necessity to call the boys of 18." continued Senator Chamberlain.
 The senate turned down all efforts to strike out the 1S-year-Old mini mum draft age requested by the mlli- tarv authorities, about which the big gest fight contered. As finally passed this provision is like the one adopted by the house.
 Senator Fall offered substitute providing for classification of men for military and industrial service. It was defeated, 60 to 18-
 
 make the minimum age 20 instead of IS years was defeated, } to 60. The senators who voted for it were Borah, Culberson, Cummins, Curtis, Gore, Kendrick, Kirby, McNary, Norris Pomerene. Townsend and Vardaman.
 Senator Poindexter proposed the minimum should be 19 years. It was defeated 6S to IA in the senate, sit ting as a committee of the whole, and 52 to 21 on a separate vote in the senate just before final passage. Those who voted for 1t were Senators Bank head Borah. Cummins, Curtis, france, Gore Guion. Jones of Washington, Kendrick, Kenyon, Kirby, McNary, Norris. Poindexter, POmerene Shields, Smith Of Michigan, Sutherland, Town send. Vardaman and WOlcott.
 Tn the final roll call Senator Gore of Oklahoma, who had fought for hieher than IS age limit, voted at first against the bill, but when he saw he was not joined by any other senators, asked permission not to vote. which was granted. He explained that he did not wish to be the one man who would prevent the bill passing unani- .mouslv. and that he could not vote for ii as the age limit was fixed.
 The new draft bill, which provides for the registration of 13,O00,OOO men between the ages of 8 and 45 years, inclusive, retains every important pro- vision contended for by the officials of the war department.
 The senate added the Thomas work or fight amendment, with the Cum mins provision that labor controversies be referred to the war labor board, This action came unexpectedly. and was on a motion by Senator McKellar to strike it out The senate refused to do so by a vote of 40 to 29. The Cum mins amendment was adopted 73 to O.