The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-08-09
A GREAT ARMY, RIGHT SOON.
No liberation for Delay in Passage of
Bill to Extend the Draft.

The country will nc tolerate delay in
the passage of the bill introduced in
Congress to extend the selective service
act to men between the ages of eighteen
and forty five There will be some OPP
position to taking youths under twenty.
one for duty at the front, and eighteen
will be regarded as very tender age
to politicians who are cultivating votes
Of women. The women Of the country,
however, are just as sensible and patriot
ic as the men.
Representative Anthony, it is said, will
introduce an amendment providing that
"the young fellows" shall be trained but
not sent to the front except in an omer
gency. He should be confronted with the
enlistment figures of the marine corps,
which show that since America entered
the war 1895 youths under twenty
one have volunteered This number rep
resented thirty per cent Of all enlist
ments in that corps, which fought so
CALAMITY at Chateau Thierry and Bel.
leau Wood Many of the youngsters
have been decorated by the French gov
eminent. In dash, intrepidity and hero.
ism the young men1gsow the way to ey-
cry army.
If the American people are in earn
est about winning the war they will not
exclude the youngsters or put them at
the foot of the list of combatants. When
senators and representatives who are
now looking after their fences" in the
home states and districts return to
Washington they viii work and vote
with sober realization that the Amer
lean people are terribly in earnest about
winning this war and winning it quick
ly. We expect TO see the bill changing
the draft ages below twenty-one as well
as above thirty-one go through both
Houses with comparatively little fric
ton.
New legislation to increase our armies
and assure more man power for war in
dustries must be provided without de-
lay. A mistake was made when Con-
gTess failed TO act before conditional
adjournment to the latter part Of Au-
gust. Under the three-day arrangement
Congress could be summoned at any time
but it is doubtful whether a quorum
could be obtained So there must be
more or less delay in getting down to
business on the new draft legislation
Il is intimated that Sept / will see the
bill on the statute book That will de
pend upon whether certain obstructive
measures, which have the right Of way
on the legislative program can be tenn.
porarily set aside Congress should
have courage enough TO cut the Gordian
knot. Prohibition can wait while when
the need Of men to fight the battles of
the country is so urgent; and the same
thing can be said even of the food and
revenue measures After the commit
tees get to work on the draft amendment
bill few days should suffice to prepare
il for passage. But there will have to
be readjustment Of the legislative SEIZED
ule.
In the present law the draft age was
made from q to 81 because it was be-
lieyed that a contribution of from two
10 three million soldiers would finish the
war. The country knows better now. 1t
has come to the conclusion that five mil
lion or more men may be needed, and
that it would be the part of wisdom
to make the entire man power of the ma
tion subject to call for industry as well
as for war service.
With the age fixed from Is to As, 1t Is
estimated that nearly three million men
can be drawn for military duty without
calling on any class with dependents or
interfering with essential industries. All
told, therefore, America by the end of
| 1919 would have about six million men
under arms, if all Of them should be
needed In the language OF the pro.
posed amendment, "the president may
draft such persons liable to military
service in such sequa re of ages and
at such time or times as he may pre-
scribe" Congress has already given him
authority to add to the army in his
Judgment of the requirements Of the
campaign on any front. The fact that
Mr.. Wilson has approved of the draft
amendment proposed should leave no
room for doubt that he intends to cxer-
else his plenary authority to raise, or
ganize, and train a great army to bring
| the war to an end. But until Congress
gives him supplementary legislation
changing the draft ages he can do no
more than he has already done.New
York Times.