The Birmingham age-herald., 1918-08-23
MAN POWER BILL
 WILL PASS HOUSE
 TODAY, |S BELIEF
Dent Defends Amendment to Call IS and 19-Year-O Old
 Boys Only After Older
 Men Have Entered

Washington, August 22.--Taking up tho
 man power bill, changing the army draf, age limits to IS and 45 years, both branches of Congress today debated the
 measure, with the leaders planning its
 passage by the House tomorrow and by
 the Senate Saturday.
 Spirited speeches urging the needed man power for the army counted upon tc
 crush the enemy next year were made
 with crowded galleries, while outside q
 dramatic touch was given in the marcIl ing, omartlal sings and cheers, of kha ki-clad infantry entraining for embarlSa- tion ports.
 Discussion in both Senate and House centered upon opposition from some mem bers to calling youths of IS to the colors
 The bill was piloted in the Senate and House by chairmen of the respective mil itary committees, Senator Chamberlain of Oregon and Representative Dent oi Alabama. The former declared tradi. tional the policy of subjecting boys as young IS IS to military service and also
 championed the work or fight" amend
 ment of his committee.
 DENT DEFENDS AMENDMENT Representative Dent. frankly admitting opposition to compulsory service as a policy, defended the House committed amendment to defer until last calls D1 ! boys of IS and 19, while Representative Kahn of California, ranking republican
 member of the committee, urged adcp.
 tion of the bill as originally presented
 without hindering the work of the wal department. He said all men between the proposed ages would be needed. An amendment proposing to make the minimum draft age 20 instead of IS was introduced by Senator Kirby of Arkan- sas. Senator Wadsworth of New York offered an amendment extending the draft to the navy, while Senator Cum
 mins of Iowa. offered provisions to post pone calling youths and older men and also to modify the work or fight" plan.
 Senator France of Maryland sponsored an amendment prohibiting military sery ice abroad for youths under ?. but pro- viding for their draft for military or other training.
 SAYS BIG ARMY NEEDED A vigorous speech in behalf of the Dill was made ty Senator Reed of Missouri. who urged an army of 5Oo,0o0 Americans in Russia at once and predicted this coun try ultimately must furnish 6,000000 or 100000 men and undergo severe hard ships of long war
 General dehate closed in the House to. night and probably will conclude tomor- TOW in the Senate. Action on amend ments begins tomorrow in tho House. During the debate Senator Shoot of Utah declared he did not believe the re cessity exists of warranting the taking of man 4 years old for military scrv- ice when he has two sons already in the
 army. That situation will exist in many eastern states
 WOULD PUT LIMIT AT 5 If I had my way, would make the maximum age 55 years' interjected Sen ator Wadsworth of New York. The time will come when we will need every man We can get.''
 Representative Olney of Massachusetts told the House that Provost Marshal Gen eral Crowder advised him today the draft would produce only 126.Oo0 in the quail fled for military service class between the ages of Il and 45.
 Representative Anthony of Kansas snR gested that all controversy over specify ing classes tC be called in order is use less as the war department, if it chose. coudl cal out one class after another a few minutes apart.
 Arguments against calling boys of "a
 and 19 were made by Representatives
 Fields of Kentucky, Meeker of Missouri
 and others. Representative Madden of Illinois suggested that it was more irsa-
 portant to Twin the war than to Quibbie
 over who should 60 first"