The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-06-27
ENLARGED ARMY PLANS
War Secretary Promises
Bigger Program With
in Few Months.
PROVIDE FOR SHIPS
Transportation F Facilities
for transporting Gi-
gantic Legions Is
Arranged.
PROVIDE FOR SHIPS

Secretary of war NtWtoh ~ 40"
Within two or three months ne tu.u
the senate military affairs commit
tee. the enlarged program VIII DC fean'
,or nresen,atio TO the legislative body
a bigger army than heretofore con-
~e,ved. with greater provision for the
sh,nntnr necessary for its transporfa-
ton to Europe, IL believed to DC IN
volved.
Pending the submission of the new
MANS Secretary Baker persuaded the
committee to withdraw It's support
fror,, the Fall amendment TO the army
arrrop4ation bill. changing the draft
a re limits to twenty and forty wears
As result of the response oa inc
committee to Mr.. Bakers request
prospect of "A change in the drait ages
mt this session at least, dw1ndleu con-
sidcrab bly,.
Following his appearance before the
senate committee, Secretary BAKER
said
u presented to the COMMITTEES state
n,ents that for the present there are
enough men In class one for our pro-
snertfve needs and when the enlafg-
ing program of the United states Is
ready for presentation to congress we
Will at the same time have complete
data on which to base any recon-
naeudatfons for change in the age Inn
it's Of the draft"
Lower Age limit.
If ongress must change the age
limits, said Secretary Baker-~ah d
provost Marshal-General Crowder,
who appeared with him before the
committee agreed~-the plan should be
10 lower the age limit. to get men
Younger than twenty-one. rather than
men older than thirty-one. Better
fighters they argued. would be got
in this way. and twenty years they
discussed as a reasonable limit.
Announcement of the committee
decision TO follow secretary's recon- r.
mendation for a postponement was
made on the senate floor by Chairman
Chamberlain.
Personally, said Senator Cham Der
lain. he still favored raising the age
limit. though he would vote with the
committee against it at this time.
With Secretary Baker and General
Crowder was also, General Peyton c.
March. chief Of staff of the army. AL
three gentlemen gave assurances that
there were enough men In class one
to care for the immediate mead Of the
army During the senate debate that
followed the announcement OF Sena-
tor Cham berIain. Senator Hitchcock
democrat, Nehraska,l declared the
figures presented the committee show
ed tina before class one is exhausted
there will be $4,000 men in Europe
and 100000 In the United States
This Republican members holly dis
puted. On the most reliable author
ity, said Senator Wadsworth (Repub-
ucan. New York;. ne had il that class
one would he exhausted before Sep
$a,,ha * He added.
yet the war department wants us
to wait until that time before calling
more men. What's going to happen in
October November and December
sixty or ninety days delay in calling
men may mean the loss of the war.
It will take that time to make the
preparations for calling them"
To this Senator Chamberlain replied
that after July s7T.359 men would
be called from class one and that these
would be exhausted by the new year,
The call will be made as follows:
August. 100000; September. f5o,--
900: october. $50. 900; November. $780,
600: December, l2T 900.
These figures were submitted in con-
fidence to the military committee last
week by General Crowder. but were
allowed to become known outside this
afternoon.
Freely Criticize.
Notwithstanding that II was con-
coded the amendment to the army bill
raising the ages from twenty to forty
was lost. criticism of the war depart
ment policy was freely INDUCED in
wadsworth. Fall. McCumher and 9th
ers spoke bitterly. Final action was
deferred. II is not probable that any
vote will be reached tomorrow. as Ions
speeches are scheduled,
II was learned that the war depart
ment officials told the senate commit
tee that about 100000 extra men TO,
class one would be obtained through
recon- bling the present deferred
classes. and that I so. 900 more will be
added under the recent treaties en-.
acted with Great Britain and Canada
THE war department will present
it's program to the congress In Sep
TENDER" Senator Chamberlain told the
senate There are questions of train
Ing, equipment and transportation
which must be considered in view OF
raising more troops. There may be
some new arrangement as to trans.
portation by the end OF July The
British and French governments have
been transporting many United States
troops, and many United States ships
will be ready later on"
Cant we get out of this habit OF
meeting emergencies after they hap.
pen instead OF before?" asked Sena-
tor Wadsworth. why not prepare
before hand. and give the president
authority to call as many men as any
! emergency might demand? Vine
knows what stroke Germany plans
Tho German general stair has already
been first in every undertaking of tbs