Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-08-15

washington, Aug. 15.-ln reporting
the administration manpower bill ex-
tending draft ages today, Chairman
Chamberlain disclosed to the senate
that General March had told the mill
tary committee it was up to the Unit
ed States to put enough men in
France to win the war on the west
front and had expressed the belief
that four million Americans under
one commander could, go through the
German lines whenever they pleased.
The report also revealed that the
. new American war program calls for
eighty divisions, or something over
three million men in France by June
80 next year, with eighteen more di-
visions in training at home then
All Of the men called for active
service under the proposed new draft
ages-1S to 45-General March told
the committee would be in France by
next June. according to the program.
Secretary Baker informed the COM
mittee. the report said, that the presi-
dents policy called for concentration
of American forces on the western
front. including Italy and that "the
theory of the fighting in the future is
that We must force the issue and win
on the western front"
Immediate extension of the draft
ages was declared by the army repre-
sentatives to be imperative in order
that the United States may throw it's
full strength in the struggle and win.
If the draft ages are fixed at from
1S to As, General March said the sys-
tenn of volunteer enlistment in the
United States army automatically dis
appears.
Based on Necessity.
ing the bill, the report says, is
based upon the necessity. ot the
government in this crisis and upon
the opinion of the secretary of war,
the chief of staff and the provost
marshal general that it would be
better to extend the draft ages than
to Invade those classes which have
been deferred by law and by regu-
lations of the war department"
Regarding the work. or fight
amendment of Senator Reed, provid-
ing for withdrawal of deferred clas-
sification from men absent from
work without cause. the report says:
1T seems to the committee that in
view Of the fact that We are about
s5es4s sss,ssloff te*;and is WS9s
as those above 81 up to and inclus-
i've Of As and are providing for the
exemption of men between 18 and
As who are engaged in useful and
necessary occupations from actual
service III IIlo TdHhS, IldL Wucll ally
are exempted solely from the cause
that their services are more valuable
to the nation in the production of
things essential to the prosecution of
the war. that when they cease in
good faith to follow the essential oc-
cupation they ought to be subject to
the draft as in other cases.
'The young men not engaged In
these occupations must wear the
uniform, enter the ranks and bare
his breast to the weapons Of the
German army. He cannot refuse to
work even for an hour and he is
compelled to fight whether he feels
disposed to do so or not. In view
empted from the draft solely in or
der that he may engage in an es-
sential industry he ought to continue
in that employment in good faith
In his report Chairman Chamber
= lain quoted extensively from testi-
mony before the committee by Secre-
tary Baker, General March, Provost
Marshal General Crowder.
Program is Large One.
"The United States government
General March is quoted as saying
has been asked by her allies to en-
bark upon a program SO large that
1T was necessary to carefully ascer-
tain whether we could go through
with it or not. and one Of the features
Of this enlarged program was provid-
while any grievance is being ad-
justed by the industrial board and
If he fails to do so he ought to be
subject to draft. e.
"The provision does not pretend to
interfere with the right Of any man
to ceaset labor when he pleases to do