New-York tribune., 1918-01-20
Draft Law improvements

Congress has made start toward cur
ing some of the defects of the original
selective conscripton scheme. Senator
Chamberlain, at the request of the War
Department, has just introduced three bills
to supplement the draft act of May IS,
1917 One of these provides for the regis
tration of all men who have reached the
age of twenty-one since June 5 last. 1t is
estimated that about 10000 new names
will thus be added t. the enrolment, and
that Excluding enemy aliens, neutral
aliens and the physically disqualifed)
probably 100000 eligibles will be produced.
These 100000 ought to meet the armys
draft needs until the end of this year
A second bill authorizes the Secre-
tary of War to furlough men for civilian
duty This is a wise precaution. Events
acquire a tirmer grip on the labor situa-
tion. Undoubtedly the civilian agencies
which it has established will be able to
mobilize labor to q large extent. A cam
paign is about to be started to turn labor
ers in other fields into the shipbulding in
dustry. 1t is also important to provide q
full labor supply for coal mining and for
agriculture. The new classification of
drafted men makes it unlikely that men Of
any real value IN these three lines of pro-
ducton will be drawn this year into the
army. But it would be Of great benefit to
the government to have strategical labor
reserve available, to be used at any point
in case of emergency. Such a reserve will
be created under the bill now submitted to
Congress. Probably the chief use TO be
made Of conscripts on furlough will be in
the fields at harvest time.
The third measure repairs in part the
injustice done, under the original appor-
tionment, to states with large alien cle-
ments in their population. Enemy aliens,
neutral aliens and alien subjects or citi-
zens of the nations which are our allies
were ali included in the totals on which
the draft quotas were based The War
Department sought to overcome the in
equality thus created by giving automatic
exemption to German subjects only Other
aliens were taken. In the total of ,057,-
1868 men certified for service under the first
draft there were 76, ,545 aliens Of various
classes.
1t is now admitted, however, that neu-
trail aliens are entitled to exemption if
they desire it, whether they have taken out
first naturalization papers not. The
State Department has reached an agree
ment with the Swiss government cOnceding
that point. 1t is probable that similar
agreements Will be made with Sweden,
Norway, Denmark, Holland and Spain
That is the most reasonable course. If any
subjects of these countries who live here
and are of military age desire to serve un-
der the American flag they can volunteer
in the regular army. There is a bill before
the House of Representatives taking mem.
hers Of the subject races in Austra-Hun-
gary out of the category Of enemy aliens
If this measure passes they can be treated
as subject to draft under the same condi-
tions as American citizens
The status of the subjects or citizens of
Allied powers is still unsettled. 1t will
also probably be regulated by diplomatic
agreements.
By these various establishments the
quotas Of the state will be made to repre-
sent more fairly the actual military popu-
laton. This is great gain; and it is
Vclinched by the third measure introduced
by Senator Chamberlain, which provides
that the state quotas shall be based here
after on the number Of men in Glass One
that is, of men Immediately available
for military purposes. The War Depart
ment's new measures deserve the heartiest
support in Congress. They make the orig
inal conscription act more practica4 and
more effective.