Evening star., 1918-08-26
SENATE TAKES Up
MAN-POWER BILL
Substitutes House Measure
for One Pending and Gives
1t Clear Track.
SOME CHANGE PROPOSED

A clear track was given In the
Senate today to the manpower Dill
broadening the Army draft age limits
to eighteen and forty-five years
When the Senate convened. under
long standing agreement to take up
the national prohibition measure, II
was temporarily laid aside upon re-
quest of Senator Sheppard of Texas
and the man-power bill. passed last
Saturday by the House. given right
of way. Senate debate on amend
ments to the measure was resumed
and its passage late today or tomor-
row was expected.
To expedite and simplify procedure,
the House bill today was substituted
for the draft which has been pend
ing in the Senate. The Senate mill
tary committee met before the SEN
ate convened today and reported the
House bill with minor amendments
as well as adding the Senate amend,
ments. including the "work-or-ngnt
proposal, without change.
One Amendment Stricken Out.
The Senate committee, however,
struck out the amendment OF Rep
resentative Treadway of Massachu-
setts. adopted by the House. provid-
ing for appointment of special e2
aminers by the provost marshal
general to re-classify men in existing
deferred classes.
This amendment. the Senate COM
mittee felt, would cripple authority OF
state draft boards and also Is un-
ready has power to make any re-
classification deemed desirable. other
changes in the House bill made Dy the
Senate committee were unimportant.
Vigorous contests were expected on
the floor Of the Senate today center
ing about the work or fight" amend
nent, which provides that men given
deferred classification upon abandon
strikes or in any other way will there
by lose their deferred classification
and render themselves liable TO imme-
diate Induction into military service
posed the amendment on the ground
that it is reflection on the loyalty OF
American labor.
President Wilson's Suggestion.
President Wilson, in conference
with Senate leaders last week. is
understood to have suggested that
the amendment is unnecessary, the
War Department already having the
power which the amendment would
confer.
amendment however, was not counted
upon as retarding dnal vote on the
bill to any great extent, and Senate
leaders today confidently expected to
dispose of the measure by tomorrow
1T the latest
Vote on Proposed Changes
BY a vote of 40 to 80 the Senate to-
day rejected an amendment offered
by Senator Shields Of Tennessee.
which would permit the employment
of wives of soldiers and sailors in the
various government departments
without their. being compelled to take
. a civil service examination. The SEN
ate then adopted a committee amend
ment which provides that the iact
that a woman is married. when her
husband is a soldier or sailor in ac-
tive service during this war, snail De
no bar to her entering the civil sery-
ice of the government.
Call Shields Amendment Unwise.
The Shields amendment was vigor-
ously denounced by Senators Thomas.
Cummins, Smith of Michigan and
Smoot, the frst-named charging that
it was "unwise and unnecessary legis-
lation OF the most pronounced cnardc-
ter Opponents of the proposal as
serted it would practically set aside
the civil service regulations and per-
init any woman who was the wife OF
man in the military or naval service to
obtain a government position without
regard to her qualifications.
Another committee amendment
adopted provides that men under
twenty-one shall not be denied COM
missions or entrance to officers train
ing camps because Of their youth.
Free Education Clause Debated.
The amendment proposing free edu-
cation of not more than two years
for men enlisted or drafted under
twenty-one caused considerable dis
cussion. Senator Smoot complained
because no educational plan had been
worked out and no cost estimate
given
Senator Borah replied that educa-
tion of the boys who return from
abroad is not a question of dollars
and cents and is the best investment
the government could make. They
are entitled to free education, Sena-
tor Rorah and others declared. be-
cause they will be fighting when they
would be getting their education.