Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-08-29
WORK OR FIGHT"
STRICKEN OUT OF
MAN-POWER BILL
Congressional Conferees to
Settle on Final Terms
of Act Today

Washington, Aug. 29.-Minor diff
conferees on the man-power bill
were cleared away to-day and the
measure with the Senate "work-or-
fight" amendment eliminated. was
prepared for final congressional ac-
ton.
After Provost Marshal General
Crowder had explained that new in
structions will provide that draft
boards and not registrants must
initiate deferred classification claims,
the conferees struck out the Pen
rose amendment directing that regis
trants be not required to make or
refuse to make such claims.
Senator Wadsworth's amendment
extending the draft to the Navy and
Marine Corps by providing that men
may be allotted for those services,
was retained.
Blanks Already Printed
General Crowder explained that
the Penrose amendment would seri-
ously interfere with plans for the
new registration by preventing the
use of millions of blanks already
printed.
The conferees also eliminated to-
day the amendment of Senator
France, of Maryland, providing for
q badge or other insignia for men
deferred for industrial or other
service.
A Senate provision retained in
somewhat changed form removes
the restriction against commission
ing and admitting to officers train
ing camps men under 81 years of
age.
The work Right" amendment to
the man-power bill was stricken
from that measure late yesterday by
the Senate and House conferees. The
bill will be submitted to the Senate
and House day with the age limits
fixed at eighteen and forty-five years,
but without the provision that would
take away from strikers in war mu-
milton plants their right to deferred
classification in the, draft.
No agreement was reached on the
bill after four hours of conference.
IProvost Marshal General Crowder
sent word to the conferees that the
adoption of the Penrose amendment,
| which would have the local draft
boards grant exemption to the new
registrants who have dependents
without requiring the registrants TO
claim exemption would seriously de-
| Law the registration of the men who
come within thenew age limits.
The amendment probably will be
stricken from the bill, although 1t is
strongly favored by the conferees.
General Crowder sent word to the
committee that the questionnaires
would have to be reprinted IL the
amendment is made a part of the
new man-power act, and said that
the registration probably would
have to be delayed month while
new uuestionnaireS were being print
/ ed and sent to the local boards.
The conferees have summoned
General Crowder to appear before
them to-day. If the conferees strike
out the amendment and the bill is
signed without it the new registrants
must claim exemption in their ques-
tionnaires, just as those VINO came
within the first draft were required
to claim exemption because of de-
tendency.
The work or-fight amendment was
stricken from the bill. said Senator
| Chamberlain, chairman of the SEN
ate Military Affairs Committee and
chairman of the Senate conferees,
because the House conferees insisted
upon it, The three Senate confereeS.
! Senator'S Chamberlain, Hitchcock
and Warren, had been instructed by
the Senate to insist upon this amend
Enent, as we'll as all of the amend
ments adopted by the Senate.
To Expedite Matters
They receded, however. when Rep-
resentative, Dent. chairman OF the
House Committee on Military Affairs
and chairman of the House con-
| ferees. and Representative Fields. OF
Kentucky, insisted that its adoption
in the conference report would de-
Law final passage of the bill, and de-
Law the draft of the men between
eighteen and forty-tive years of age.
Representative Kahn, the third
House conferee. voted for the amend
ment.
clined to accept the amendment,
said Senator Chamberlain. we re-
ceded because we want to get tne
bill through. The essential thing is
| that the age llllltS NC eiShtSS "a
forty-five years, and the conferees
ali are agreed on those ages.
! "The House conferees did not say
that they opposed the principle OF the
amendme ent. but they insisted that it
! already is in the selective service
ACT The present draft law, to which
the man-power bill is series of
! amendments, specifies that no ex-
emption shall continue when the
cause for such exemption no longer
exists"
The Senate amendment requiring
the government to sell uniforms and
| enuinment to officers at cost was
modified to require the War and
NAVY Departments to issue uniforms
and eouipment to officers at the re-
ouest of the secretaries. The secre-
taries are authorized to make re-
strictions and regulations for issu-
ing the uniforms, so that poorer Of
ficers will be able to obtain their
necessary equipment without hard-
ship.
RecIassifying Clause Out
The conferees struck out the
Treadway amendment directing the
nrovost marshal general to appoint
a board of special examiners to GO
over missionaries and reclassify
| reaistrants under the first draft.
The Senate committee amendment
authorizing the appointment of local
boards of men living outside the local
districts also was stricken from the