Evening star., 1918-06-27
FIGHT. .RENEWEDON
/ FALL AMENDMENT
Senate Contest Over Draft
Age Limits May Delay
Passage of Army Bill.

A further bitter fight over the Fall
amendment to increase the Army
draft age limits faced the Senate
when it met today. The controversy
may result in delaying the passage OF
the Army appropriation bill until the
end of this week or later. Admins
tration leaders were confident that
the Fall amendment in the end would
be defeated, in view of the statements
made to the military affairs commit
tee yesterday by Secretary Baker,
Gen. March, the chief of staff. and
Provost Marshal General Crowder to
the effect that it was not necessary at
this time to extend the draft ages.
The bill is the unfinished business
of the Senate. but, owing to the deter
miantion to force a vote on the Wom-
an suffrage resolution today. it may
be sidetracked until tomorrow.
The Senate debated throughout yes
terday afternoon the Fall amend
ment Senator Chamberlain of Ore
gon. chairman of the military COM
mittee. told the Senate of the opin-
ions given the committee; that Gen.
Crowder acquiesced in the policy of
his superors, and that the military
decided to oppose the proposed draft
legislation as an addition to the Army
bill.
Advocates Quote Bureau Advices.
Senator Fall and other advocates
of the Fall amendment Immediately
renewed their fight for changing the
draft ages, declaring that the de-
partment's information. showing that
the class l registrants would be ex-
hausted in a few months at most.
warranted extension at this time by
Congress of the draft to men below
twenty -one and above thirty-one years
Serator Chamberlain. although ia
voring immediate legislation, an
nounced that he would abide by the
departments recommendations and
oppose the Fall amendment. while
Kellar of Tennessee and others urged
that the legislation go over. Senator
Hitchcock indicated that he would
not press his substitute resolution to
extend the draft ages.
Senator Fall demands that author
ity to increase the size of the Army
be given and Congress should imme-
diately provide a larger body of men
from which calls may be made. He
suggested, also, that political con-
TONS opposition to immediate legis-
lation, but Senator Chamberlain de-
MED that politics was involved, ex-
planning that Secretary Baker and
Gems. March and Crowder had pre-
sented the administrations views upon
invitation from the Senate committee.
Tenor of Opposition.
That there should be no delay in in
creasing the Army to the maximum of
the nations shipping, food, clothing
and other resources by postponing
change in the draft ages was the
statement of Secretary Baker and
Gen March upon which opponents of
the Fall amendment laid stress. Also
they declared Congress should not now
force on the War Department legisIa-
tion not yet approved nor carefully
considered. even by Congress.
Sentiment generally was expressed
in the debate that revision of the
draft ages apparently must be resort
ed to in the near future and consid-
est General sentiment also was
against lowering the minimum age
below twenty years and for increase
of the maximum to at least thirty
five years.
Senator Chamberlain announced late
yesterday that 1t is proposed to call
in August 100000 draft men; in Sep
tember, 10000; in October, $50, 900:
in November, 100000, and in Decem-
ber. 125,e00. These $4,000 men, he
said. are expected to exhaust class