New-York tribune., 1918-06-27
Baker Halts
Any Change
In Draft Age
Congress Glad to Accept
Secretary's Statement; No
Provision for Emergency
By c. w. Gilbert
Especial Dispatch to The Tribune)


WASHINGTON, June 26.--Congress
is not likely to change the draft age
until it is asked to do so by the War
Department.
Secretary Baker to-day requested
that no action be taken until studies
now being made are completed and 8
report is compiled and plan adopted
by the Army Department. His request
is likely to be complied with,
The Senate wanted an excuse fc! not
increasing the draft age and Secretary
Baker furnished one. 1t is, say the
Democratic Senators and some Repub-
licans, too, the business of the Execu-
tive to say whether the reservoir of
men is large enough, whether any
emergency exists such as calls for ex-
tending the conscription period.
The Executive, through the Secretary
of War and the Chief of Staff of the
army, says that no emergency exists
and the Senate sighs a deep sigh of
relief
1t is going to vote tomorrow that it's
whole duty is done. 1t has asked what
is wanted, has been told and will act
accordingly, which means it will not
act at all. 1t will wait.
Baker Explains
Draft Situation
In a statement to the press Mr.
Baker put his view of the situation
thus:
II told the Committee on Military
Affairs to-day that there were in
Class | now, including those who
have recently come in by registra-
tion, men enough to provide for the
persons to be drafted during the re-
naming months of this year without
a change in the age limit. That is,
they knew the War Department was
constantly anxious to expand it's mil
itary programme, and that we were
now very actively considering an in
crease, and if that increase is pos
slble to recommend to them, on their
return from their recess off they
take such q recess), further appro-
priations of men and further meas
ures to make more men available for
the increased programme. but there
was no chance, with the existing size
of Glass 1 and with the actual num-
ber of men in camp, of being places
where we would not have all the men
possible to ship abroad.
"As l understand from General
Crowder, the whole of Class l must
be exhausted everywhere in the
country before Class ? can be in
vaded.
81 said to the committee that the
number of men in Class l qualified
for full military service, plus those
in Class qualified for limited mill
tary service. are sufficient to meet
all prospective drafts between now
and at the time in the future when the
committee by postponing considera-
tion now will not in any case come
time when we will not have plenty
of men to send abroad in all avail
able shipping
War Department
Has Expanded Plan
"The War Department has from
the beginning been expanding it's
military programme. We are many
months ahead of what was our origi-
nal hope in regard to the transpor-
taton of men. We are constantly
seeking ways to expand that, and we
are in the midst of a plan now to
expand it again. Should we so ex-
pand the programme it may turn out
that we will need an increased num-
Der of men, and it may turn out that
the best we can do won't require it.
When we have determined on what
is best we will then ask Congress to
provide additional money and men.
For the present there is no such
necessity.
"The reservoir OF men now in
camps in this country is sufficiently
large to enable US with perfect safety
to reach that conclusion and put in
operation the necessary machinery to
get additional men in Class / in
plenty of time before those already
in the camps could be exhausted"
The issue is singular. All that was
proposed to do was to permit the
Tns, -.