The Washington herald., 1918-03-10
HOUSE FIGHT
EXPECTED.ON
SECOND DRAFT
Rep. Gordon Files Strong
Minority Report on
Quota Proposal.

Likelihood Of a ight on the House
floor over provisions of the second
draft was Indicated yesterday when
Representative Gordon. OF Ohio. a
member of the Military Affairs Com
mittee, filed a hot minority report
and announced his intent to carry
his night to the House.
The amendment to, the general
draft bill to which he objects would
base the quotas Of various commu-
mites on the number of men in
draft class No. /, instead of the
general population, and would per-
nit the military authorities to take
any men of any class they deemed
especially fitted for particular army
work.
Says Chance Removed.
Representative Gordon declared the
last provision removed the element
OF chance involved in the original
conscription bill. and placed the fate
Of every draftable man. at the ar
bitrary will Of draft boards.
A majority report, filed at the same
time, declared the proposed amend
ment necessary so that specially
fitted men could be obtained for
work In which the army was in par
ticular need. The change of the
population basis. is explained on the
ground that. at present. men are
drawn in accordance with the CEN
sus returns of 1910.
Gordon's report. which represents
the views of considerable group
of members-although apparently a
minority-follows:
THE sweeping amendment to the
conscription bill proposed by S. J.
Res. 1913, subjects to the arbitrary
will and authority of those in con-
troll of the military power OF the
nation the nine millions of men reg
istered. except only those uncon-
ditionally exempt from the draft as
fully and completely. for all prac-
tical purposes, as those already in
Quoted into military service. II Con-
gress is prepared to deliver the
bodies of these nine million men
into the hands of the military
authorities without condition or
limitation. then IT should adopt this
joint resolution; II not, It should
be defeated.
THE conscription law authorized
the President to prescribe regula-
tions fixing the order in which the
men registered should be called for
military service. This was done,
and regulations were prescribed for
determining this question as to all
persons between 81 and 80 years in
elusive, by lot, each person regis
tered being assigned a serial num-
Der and these numbers being drawn
one at a time from a receptacle
containing all of them.
THE drawing was begun by the
Secretary of War, blindfolded, in
the presence of the members of the
Committee on Military Affairs OF
the House and Senate and a large
and distinguished audience of spec
tators, and thus the order in which
! each of the 100000 men were tc
become liable to call for military
service was determined. It is now
proposed that all this shall be swept
aside by an amendment to the law
and the order of liability determined
by the military authorities them.
selves under regulations now IL
force or hereafter prescribed.
Lot Drawing Favored.
Even the men placed in Class l are
not required to be called in the order
| determined by the drawing OF lots
The power to change the classification
or abolish it entirely by any regula.
tion hereafter adopted renders the
elaborate classification set forth in
the majority report and any legisla-
ton pertaining thereto unimportant
| and immaterial because authority is
| conferred on the military authorities
to alter, amend or abolish 1t at will.
Great interest was shown in the
| drawing by lot because it was believed
by everyone at the time that thereby
the liability to render military service
in this war was determined as to all
| persons who had registered under the
act
I'm his message OF April ?, 1917, the
President recommended that all add,
tions to the armed forces of the Unit
ed States made necessary by this wal
be chosen upon the principle of un.
iVersal liability to service This pro.
| posed amendment is a complete and
entire abandonment and reputation
OF the principle and a substitution OF
the arbitrary will of the military au.
thorities in its place. It is sought tc
defend the grant of these unheard Of
powers by the assertion that 1t is the
desire of the military authorities tc
take for the military service only
these who have not become !arti.
ulated' with the social or industria,
life Of the communities in which
they are registered: this rule, II
strictly applied, excludes from thu
military service everyone but vag.
rants, vagabonds and tramps"