Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-26
MANPOWER BILL
GIVEN A CLEAR
TRACK in SENATE
Passage of Draft Act Expect
ed; Prohibition Is Laid
Aside
By Associated Press

By Associated Press
Washington, Aug. ga clear
track was given in the Senate to-day
to the man-power BILL passed Sat
urday by the House, broadening the
army draft age limits to is and 45
years.
When the Senate convened under
long standing agreement to take
up war time prohibition. Senator
Sheppard, of Texas, prohibition ad-
vocate, moved to temporarily lay
that measure aside. 1t was agreed to
and debate on amendments to the
man power hill was resumed with
passage late to-day or tomorrow
expected.
In discussing the draft bill Sat
urday, Senator McCuNber, Repub-
lican, of North Dakota, demanded
why the Navy Department has not
prevented the U-boat raids on fish
ing trawlers off the Newfoundland
coast.
Penrose Criticises Daniels
Senator Penrose, a member of
the Naval Committee of the Senate,
said he could give the answer.
1T is easily demonstrated that the
Secretary of the Navy lost at least
three months" he said, and very
likely much more of time, before
he got started on his naval pre-
paredness, and this fleet of destroy
ers, which ought to have been got
ready long before they were, are
now being built, and very few of
them have been turned out.
1T has been due to the procras-
tination, in my opinion, very largely
of the Secretary of the Navy, who
for some reason or other was unable
TO reach conclusions or decision
about the matter submitted to him.
At least $50 days elapsed before
even the preliminary contracts were
awarded"
Senator Chamberlain interrupted
to call attention to the fact that
the Navy has done magnificent work
in conveying ships
Assails Baker Also
Senator Penrose then assailed
Secretary Baker for what he termed
was IAN evasion of the necessity for
enlarging the draft" before Congress
recessed. He said
Il would take this opportunity,
Mr. President, to address an inquiry
to the chairman, because he is pres
ent, as he generally is. Many of us
were called upon a few weeks ago
to vote against what is known as
the Fall amendment and other
amendments looking toward the en-
largement of the draft ages. Within
a very few weeks after we had thus
voted in the negative on the sup
posed request of the War Depart
ment that such legislation was nee
essary, We were called here uneX-
pectedly and at great inconvenience
to meet complete change of front
on the Part of the Secretary of War,
and u ,if in, txrlni
the Secretary and his military ad-
visers recommend the very PROPOSE
ton that we were asked to vote
against l do not know whether
this inquiry has been addressed to
the Senators in the Senate or not.
l have not been present all the time
during the debate. l should like to
ask him whether he has. any infor-
nation in the hearings of the Sec
retary of War or any other which
would explain this complete change
of front on the part of the depart
ment."
Chamberlain, that there is any
other explanation for it than that
which the Secretary of War has
given, either in the form of inter-
views with the members of the
committee or possibly in the testi-
mony that they concluded to enlarge
the military program and that en-
largement takes over more men per
month than they had been taking in
the past In order to do that this
legislation became more imperative
than was expected to get men into
service.
Now I was in sympathy with the
Fail amendment and so stated on
the floor of the Senate. I thought
myself we ought to have passed that,
but I yielded my judgment, as I
stated to a number of Senators, at
the request of the Secretary of War
and the chief of staff"
Explanation an Evasion"
with all due respect to the chair
man of the committee, 1 do not con-
slider the so-called explanation of
the Secretary of War is anything
but an evasion" Senator Penrose
said.
Senator Chamberlain agreed with
him.
The Senator seems to agree with
me-" Senator Penrose continued,
"and I sympathize with the position
he is in, in being compelled to call
us here together in three weeks to
meet complete reversal on the part
of the War Department. Certainly
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