Evening journal., 1918-08-24
HOUSE BEATS PLAN
TO CALL BOYS LAST
Kahn Goes to Administra-
tion's Rescue When Dent
and Kitchin Balk
FINAL VOTE Is
EXPECTED TODAY

indication that the man power Dill VIII
pass Congress without the restriction
which would hamper the administra
tion in raising the army with which L
win the war, the House almost reached
the point Of final passage Of the meas
ure before adjournment last night.
The plan had been 10 pass the bill
before adjournment, but Representative
Dent, chairman OF the Military Commit
tee, forced adjournment because th'
House was on the point Of adopting ar
amendment preventing the exemption
or the giving Of deferred classification
20 government clerks merely on The
ground OF their employment
The Senate continued discussion Oi
the measure also, but the prospect Oi
passing It by the upper branch today
is slim.
The most notable achievement Of the
House yesterday was knocking out thC
Mckenzie amendment. designed "a
force the War Department TO call all
the eligibles in the advanced ages be
fore drawing on those below 2i years
old, and then to draw them in classes
with the elghteen-year-Old boys last
The vote was i67 to i20.
The administration. and particularly
the military men as represented by
General March, Chief OF STAFF, were
strongly opposed TO this suggestion and
did not hesitate 10 say so when they
had the opportunity. However, as In
the case Of the original selective servise
act, the administration had 10 fall back
on q an-Representative Kahn,
,Gal)-to pull It's chestnuts out Of the
fire. Chairman Dent and Representative
lNtchin, the Democratic leaders. both
voting for every suggested amendment
70 defer the younger men and TO limit
she draft to a higher age than IS.
Representative Blackburn (Ala.) tried
- have the lower age OF the draft re-
lain as 10 Is, at 2i years. There was
discussion Of this, the House snow
it under by a vote OF iyi 10 ~.
Iresentative~ Johnson (Wash.) then
cd to have the bill amended to have
.ls lower limit OF the draft ages 10
years instead Of is, and this was de-
ieated t72 10 90.
Not satisfied with this, Mr.. johnson
yhen tried TO have the age limit lifted
70 so years. Nobody knew quite how to
take this until they saw Mr.. Kahn in
dicate his disapproval. In the faith that
he Is In close touch with the War De
partment wants and needs, the House
defeated this suggestion, i6s TO iis.
Representative Gregg Tex threw a
bomb into the House, though, when
out OF a clear sky he proposed an
amendment TO the measure providing
That nothing in 10 should be construed
10 exempt from military service the
legislative and executive officers and
officials OF the United States OF OF the
several States merely because they hold
such offices. This threw the House
into an uproar for a moment.
When they realized what it meant. IL
is 20 the credit Of the House that the
amendment was adopted by acclama-
tiOn Il Will affect about 40 members
OF Congress and a far larger percent
age Of every State Legislature in the
country.
The amendment against which the
State Department has consistently
fought ever since draft legislation was
1rst proposed, was written into the
measure. however, on motion OF Rep
resentatlve Mccullough (Ohio.) His
amendment provided that all aliens in
the Up!ted States owing allegiance to
nations allied with the United States in
the world war should be placed in Glass
1, and that all such aliens already reg
istercd should be reclassifled and call
ed to the colOrs Immediately. This
amendment was passed 1919 10 "a
Representative Doolittle (Kan.) tried
30 write an unconstitutional amend
ment into. the bill, but Representative
Walsh Mass raised a point OF order
against 10 which was Immediately sus-
tanned. Mr. DOolitile wanted to extend
the franchise TO all soldiers regardless
Of whether they have reached voting
age.
When Representative Madden IN
proposed 10 amend the bill so that ex-
cmption should not be obtained for the
division or more OF government clerks
for whom deferred classification has
been obtained the Democratic side Of
the House arose in opposition en- masse,
possibly because Of constituents enjoy
ing such deferred classification.
Mr. Madden ably defended his
amendment when Mr. Dent said that II
would destroy the executive branches
Of the government" Mr.. Madden de-
clared that these clerks should be so
classed with every one else. and II they
were placed in deferred classiflcatiOns
on account OF physical disability or de-
tendency, it would be all right, but that
they should not be kept here in secur-
ity when there was such vital need
FOR man-pOWer
10 was to avoid a show down on this
amendment that Mr.. Dent forced ad-
journment Of the House until today.
All Of the amendments adopted and
rejected were in committee of the whole
where under the rules no roll call vote
Is allowed. There is some possibility Of
a change in the measure today when roll
call votes will be taken on the McKen-
zie amendment and on others. How
ever. as the vote against the Mckenzie
amendment was in the proportion Of
more than to it Is unlikely that It
will be changed.
At the finish OF yesterdays session
Senator Chamberlain was hopeful that
vote on the measure might be obtain
ed before adjournment tonight. al
though the general opinion in the SEN
ate was that at least ono more full day
for consideration will be required.
POLISH CONVENTION.
The FIRST Polish national convention