New Britain herald., 1918-06-25
SENATE RECEIVES
 DRAFT AMENDMENTS
Both Would Make Ages Between
 IS and 45 Years

Washington, June 25.-IWo pro- posals to change the draft age were submitted to the senate yesterday in debate on the SIP, 100000 army bill. Both came from republican members, Senator Fall of New Mexico and Senator France of Maryland
 Both would make the enrolment ages IS to 45 years. But this is the only respect in. which the proposals resemble each other Senator Falls proposed amendment is purely a mili- tary service proposal, while Senator Frances is a, bill providing that every male in the country between the ages specified shall be enrolled and classi fled and then may be called for any sort of service the president deems necessary.
 The Fall measure provides:
 "The age limit fixed in said act (the Draft act) is hereby changed and shall be and is hereby fixed at Is and 5 years. in lieu of 21 and 31. Pro- Vided further, that those registered under the age of 21 shall not be drafted nor used for service upon the firing line till they shall have cached the age of 21.''
 Senator Fall explained that his pur- pose in lowering the age limit to Is years was to provide a large force for training under regulations to be pre- scribed. This force would be avail able for service in the front ranks the very moment it's members became 21 years old. This would give the country a great reservoir of trained and equipped men to draw from. and would not entail long delay while the men were being trained after having been called for active service, the senator pointed out. It would also remove the danger to industry and agriculture which now exists. Senator Fall contended, and would show the whole country the value of universal military training as a preparedness and health measure.
 Senator Frances bill is that which Provost Marshal General Crowder re- gently discussed before the senate military affairs committee, and to the principle of which he gave his hearty approval. It is in effect a ''Work-or- fight" order carried out in terms of the draft. It would require every male between s and 45 years to register. All would then be classified just as at present, except that, instead of being limited to availability for military service, the classification Woud extend to industry, agriculture, and every form of war activity.
 General Crowder has assured the military affairs committee that pass age of a bill like this would not dis arrange the draft machinery in the least, and would be exceedingly easy of administration. If such a measure became law, he said, there would be no difficulty in getting labor for any sort of war work. for all that would be necessary would be to impress a certain number of men into that par ticular sort of work.
 Strikes on war work would then be impossible, General Crowder argued. because a strike would lay every striker open to court martial instantly, and the penalty would be death or long imprisonme
 Though the two amendments sub- mitted today did not come from ad- miniStration sources, they opened the whole question of changing the age limits. Congress realizes that this must be done, inasmuch as Class 1 will be exhausted soon after the first of the coming year, and, according to General Crowder, serious disa range ment of the war work program will follow invasion of deferred classes 70 any considerable extent.
 Secretary Baker has said he will not oppose such legislation. Whether he will accept the France or Fall pro posal, or will now be moved to permit General CroWder to submit to congress his idea as to how the ages should be changed, is not known.
 There will be much debate on the proposal centering on two points. One of these will be the age limits. the other the need for and wisdom of changing the age limits at this time rEhTuC ANTI EIINED c