The Washington herald., 1918-08-21
HOUSE WOULD
DRAFT YOUTHS
AFTER ELDERS
Committee Favors Amend
ment Reserving Ages l8
and lo Till Last.
ANTI-STRIKE RULE OUT
Dropped by Committee, Op-
posed by Baker, Pro-
tested by Labor.
ANTI-STRIKE RULE OUT

The House Military Affairs Com
mittee decided yesterday that the boys
of Is and 10 should be spared from
the draft until after all those in the
older classes have been called into
Service. The committee adopted by
the vote of nine to seven an amend
ment to the man-power bill prohibit
ing the War Department from calling
any Of the registrants under 20 years
Of age until every available man above
that age has been taken.
This bill in this form and with one
or two other minor amendments will
be reported to the House by the COM
mittee today. Chairman Dent has ar
ranged with Speaker Clark to take up
.he bill Thursday morning and he ex-
poets - have 1t passed that day. The
Senate also will begin consideration of
the measure on Thursday. but Mr..
Dent believes he will be able to get IL
through the House before the Senate
acts upon it.
VIII BE Fought on Floor.
There is every Indication OF a bitter
fight in the House over the COM
rnittee's amendment. General March
and General Crowder have expressed
themselves vigorously in opposition to
any restrictions on the authority of
the War Department to call out the
men in such order as may be deemed
best for the service. Secretary Baker
while before the committee Monday
said that such a provision in the law
might not be Objectionable II 1t were
not too rigid.
The amendment was put in at the
Eugge of Representative Nc
Eenzie Illinois. Chairman Dent
was one of those who favored 1t.
But Representative Kahn, of Cali
fornia, the ranking Republican on
the committee, stands with the
War Department in its opposition to
any provisions in the law which
might hamper its administration.
He is expected to lead the opposi-
tion to the amendment in the
House. just as he led the fight for
the draft bill against Chairman
Dent and the others of the COM
mittee who fought for the volun-
teer system.
Text of Amendment.
Following is the text of the Nc
Kenzie amendment:
Provided, that registrants Of the
age of 19 years and not over 20
years shall be designated as the 1s
class. and shall be drafted subse-
quent to the registrants over 20
years Of age: and registrants of
the age of IS years and not over
10 years shall be designated the
IS class and shall be last called into
service; those registrants above the
age OF 20 years shall be called prior
TO those in the classes hereby
created"
The purpose of the amendment
as explained by Mr.. Mckenzie, is
to prevent the boys OF Is and 1s
from going out of the country un-
less il is absolutely necessary.
Mr.. Mckenzie is preparing an
other amendment to the bill which
will be acted upon today. 1t will
provide for the revocation OF all
exemptions heretofore granted and
the reclassification of every reg
istrant, including those already
registered. Mr.. Mckenzie believes
this will have the effect of throw
ing into the ranks thousands oi
"slackers" who have been able to
secure favors from the local boards
10 which they were not entitled.
Would Give Boys Commissions.
An amendment offered by Chair
man Dent to enable boys of 81
years and under to receive COM
missions was adopted by the COM
mittee. Regulations of the depart
ment now in force would deny
them the right to receive commits
sions.
The committee rejected the anti
strike amendment which the SEN
ate committee adopted at the sug-
Eestion of Senator Thomas. of Col
orado. The House bill will be re-
ported without any provision to
extend the 'work-or-fight" order
eeyond the limits prescribed by the
departments regulations.
Secretary Baker has expressed
himself as of the opinion that the
anti-strike amendment is not nec-
sssary: He made this statement
Yesterday in his interview with the
he work-or-fght order:
Gen Crowder pointed out that the
provision in the Senate bill is sub.
Jtantially what the department IL
now doing and what there is now
bower to do, so that the provision in
serted by the Senate amendment L
simply making a legislative declara.
ion of a policy already In effect.
QuIt Work Lose Exemption
"a man who gets an industrial ex.
smption by reason of his being an In
1fspensabIe operative in an indis-
pensable industry ceases to have that
exemption as soon as he ceases to be
IN operative in that industry. The
Sosrds have never applied that in the
,ase of bona fide disputes between
.abor as an aggregate and the en-
1Idyers as an aggregate. but they have
II1ays prevented a man taking refuge
behind an Industrial exemption and
then discontinuing the work for
which he received the exemption. so
4he apparent purpose of the Senate
amendment is already in operation. :.
An earnest Protest against the anti