New-York tribune., 1918-08-21
Would Call
Boys Is and 19
Last in Draft
Continued from page 1

eAAS'iNAASie. 0illt III tAiC 4LOdoS q VII
troversy is brewing over the commit
tees amendment to defer calling boys
Of eighteen and nineteen years, man
datory provision which Secretary Ba
ker, General March and General
Crowder has vigorously opposed. Both
Senate and House committees have
pledged to lower the minimum age to
eighteen years. and it appears the age
| limits will be fixed as recommended by
the War Department.
Sentiment in Congress against call
, ing youths found expression day in
the House Committees amendment.
After q stormy executive session, in
which Representative Kahn led fight
70 retain the Administration measures
provision giving the President discre-
ton to fix the order of calls for all
men within the new draft limits, the
committee voted, . to 7, to write in an
amendment offered by Representative
Mckenzie, Of Illinois, Republican, pro-
viding that mon twenty years of age
shall be called before those of nine
teen and eighteen years, with the
eighteen-y year-old youths to be called
last. The amendment makes man
datory what Secretary Baker has indi-
Gated will be the policy of the War
Department.
Amendments Defeat Predicted
Representative Kahn and those join
ing with him in support of the Admin
istration provision vesting authority in
the President to establish the order
| of calls, reserved the right to oppose
the Mckenzie amendment on the floor
OF the House, and expressed the belief
that the amendment would be rejected.
Chairman Dent and others of the COM
mittee who expressed themselves as
dissatisfied with Secretary Bakers
promise to make regu ations for a
separate class for eighteen-year-ol
boys and defer their call as long as
poss bile, however, were confident to-
night that the House would retain tie
amendment.
Work or fight" legislation, Chair
man Dent said tonight. is not contem-
plated by the House committee The
committee was said to take the posi-
ton that the legislation is unncces-
sary in that present draft regulations
protect the governments interests.
The War Department was understood
to have been criticised sharply during
the closed committee session. To-
morrow the committee plans to perfect
the Mckenzie amendment.
Pending amendments include the
proposal of Chairman Dent to remove
restrictions aga nst granting commits
ons to youths unGer .wenty one years
of age and that d Representative Nc
ken1ia % w.'ite 'rta 'sr ne erisffr
draft regu.a Ions leqa.rIns service Of
married men who do not support their
famil es.
laFer lights Amsrdmera
Q.ssoszaj laaor's snohssc oasosi.
5ion 20 the vors-er er-axht sn4naaeat
9a4 nrasettsd at .rs cloalne hear,ug -
tae He-.se. eomai'-e l5-Jay ay eraaa
',vss 9a eey.t t4tv III tae Aa,c. can
fe,.ee.e,4n d aaoor
saaNoftna tDe reecat pr7.sst Of
san.ue. eomtera. A.7. s.o4r.sou de-
ciared hut n, p.os.s 81 laserted by
the Senate coam.ttee eutho rizinrr
Withdrawal OF deferred Classification
from men absent from work without
cause was an attack upon the LOYALTY
of Amer can workmen, and a con
scription Of labor, in q covert way"
which would be resented in every cor
ner of the country. Ee suggested that
special interests were secretly press
.ng antilabor legislation.
Problems Of educating drafted
youths we're discussed with DR.. C. r.
Mann, of the War Departments COM
mittee or education.
Mr.. Morrison referred to the prob
able international effect of the work
or fight provision.
at would make the world and our
allleS believe our men are Slackers," h
said. ut is not asked py the govern
ment, which Is not exercised over the
industrial conscription. Who is asking
for This legislation? Is it the Co. orado
Fuel Company or the great Steel
He asked if. in case the amendment
is adopted, soldiers of democracy
would be used as strike Breakers Git
ing the pledge Of organized labor made
at the beginning of the war, he added
Labor has kept faith. Labor con-
scription is not asked by the govern
ment and is not necessary. This is the
United States, not Germany
of enacted, the amendment would
be used by every unfair proftccring
employer. 1t is being used to-day by
the Bethlehem Company. Understand,
| want it made clear that we do not
protest against the men going back TO
fight, but against placing an employer
in a position to brand his employees as
slackcrS."
Few Open Refusals
In case Of strikes, Mr. Morrison said.
very few cases would occur where the
men would refuse to work pending ad-
justment by the War Labor Board. If
the men should refuse to work, he said.
the existing draft regulations could be
invoked and that further legislation is
unnecessary.
Representative Harrison, OF Virginia
called attention to Secretary Bakers
statement denying that the Senate
amendment is labor conscription plan.
but Mr.. Morrison insisted that it would
be conscription and would be used as
such by unfair employers