The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-15
(By Associated Press. J

ing the man power bill extending
draft ages today, Chairman Cham
berlain disclosed to the senate tha
Gen. March had told the military
committee 1t was up to the United
states to put enough men in France
to win the war on the west front
and has expressed the belief that 4.
100000 Americans under one com.
mander could go through the Ger.
man lines whenever they pleased
The report also revealed that the
American war program calls for 81
divisions. or something over 3,000,-
| 600 men in France by June 80, next
| year, with 18 more divisions in train.
ing at home then.
| If the draft ages are fixed at from
IL to 45, Gen. March said the system
| Of volunteer enlistment in the Uni
ted States automatically disappears
Immediate extension Of draft ages
was declared by the army represen-
| tatives to be imperative in order
that the United States may throw its
full strength in the struggle and win.
All in France Next June.
AL Of the men called for active
service under the proposed new
draft ages-18 to 45-Gen. March
France by next June, according to
the program.
Secretary Baker Informed the
committee, the report said, that the
present policy called for concentra-
ton on the western front Of Ameri-
can forces and the allies, and in the
future ''We must force the issue and
win on the western front"
Plans for beginning consideration
in the senate next Monday Of the
new manpower bill extending the
draft ages were blocked today by
failure of quorum to appear when
Chairman Chamberlain Of the mill
tary committee, submitted the meas
ure with favorable report.
Only 43 senators answered TO their
names when the roll was called, six
less than a quorum. There were %
Republicans and q Democrats. The
senate adjourned until Monday and
the plan is now to begin considera-
tion of the bill next Thursday, If
possible.
Senator Chamberlain still hopes to
pass the measure by Saturday OF
next week. He expressed confidence
of it's passage within three days, be-
fore the military war time prohibt-
ton proposal comes before the SEN
ate as privileged business.
In his report Chairman Chamber
lain quoted extensively from testi-
mony before the committee by Secy.
Baker, Gen. March and Provost
Marshal General Crowder.
Program is Gigantic.
THE United States government"
General March is quoted as saying,
has been asked by her allies to en-
bark upon program so large that
1t was necessary carefully to as
certain whether we could go through
with 1t or not, and one OF the feat
ures Of this enlarged program was
providing men. The desire Of the
administration is to establish limits,
both maximum and minimum, which
will accomplish this program and at
the same time disorganize the indus
tries Of the country as little as pos
BibIe.
THE policy Of the war department
is to put the maximum number OF
men in France with the idea Of
shortening the war. We found from
figures furnished by the provost
general that we could embark on a
program Of so divisions in France by
June 80, 1919, with 1S divisions at
home. These divisions consist rough
prolonged study of the mappower of
the United States, the provost mar
shall general showed that 1t was
necessary to drop to Is years Of age
and go TO IS years in order to get
the men to carry It through. All the
men obtained under the proposed
change in the draft law-approxi-
mately 1900 000-we expect TO have
in France by Juns 30, 1919"
Young Men First.
General March told the committee
that he was unqnalifiedly in favor
Of having an army composed Of as
many young men as possible. Young
men between IS and 20, he said, not
only do not have many encum-
brances. but they are better ut
physically. /
dThe President has announced
that the American military policy
from this time on Is centered on the
western front, and we have declined
to be diverted from that one thing.
The war department has now adopt
ed this as q policy and 1t is the
policy Of the United States that the
military program is to be centered IN
France.
Must Employ Whole Strength.
''The purpose Of America Is to
furnish enough man power to whip
the Germans from now on. The only
way that Germany can be whipped
is by America going into this thing
with her whole strength"
'sThen America has got to put
enough men over there TO whip
asked Senator Kirby.
aThat is IL in a nutshell" Gen.
March replied.
ut is up to us town the war and
we can win it. How long it will
take win depend exactly upon what
we do. If we drag along with this
thing and put small force over
there we will be paying Germany's
game. II is my belief that with an
American army OF 100000 men in
France under one commander-in-
chief. we can 90 through the Ger
man line whenever we please.
"TElis." the general added, ''will
let us lean on class 4 until June 30
of next year. We reached the con-
clusion that the enlarged program
was necessary on July 80"
Baker Explains Steps.
Secretary Baker explained the
steps that led UP to the change in
the military program.
After the recess of congress" the
secretary said tine study Of the