New-York tribune., 1918-08-16
Continued from page l

Following are the important parts OF
,bs text of the Senate Military Com
m,ttee report in recommending the
new selective service law:
The main purpose of the bill is to
.bange the present draft ages, now
established at twenty-one to thirty-onee
''sSrs .s bo;h inclusive, to eighteen and
.Sanges are intended to make the pres
.nt law somewhat more flexible and
CIV nssr of administration than at pres
'''. As to the necessity of changing the
drsft ages, attention is called to brief
arcerpts from the testimony of Secre-
.arv of War Baker, General Peyton C.
March chief of staff, and to a memo
randum addressed to the chief of staff
by Provost Marshal General E. II i.
Cyowder under date of July II. 1918.
Those, in the opinion of the committee,
,rarrant the speedy enactment of the
bll as reported 20 the Senate.
To Speed Up War
The Secretary of War appeared in
n.rson before the committee and tes-
.;eed in part, as follows:
"Tbe need for the increase in the
ava limits directly is the outcome of
ne determination on the part OF the
Var Department to speed up and also
70 increase IN size the military pro-
gramme. c ~
..rd,, of the situation went on, and u
ssw davs ago it became clear to US that
me eighty division programme was
nerhans the maximum which we could
rossihlv hope 10 accomplish and that
~ accomplish that it would be neces-
ssry TO change the age limits from the
0-ssent limits to eighteen to forty-fve.
sThe bill as it is written meets with
~ End" said Senator Johnson, "ir
,.,t;np to members of Congress de
cidsd reluctance to decrease the draft
ace TO eighteen. l confess to similar
reluctance. | thir X, however, that those
With whom | have talked-and l know
HE ;s nv personal attitude-are al
wiling to do it if the military neces,
sites and the exigencies demand ano
racnire Il. As l understand it, that is
the situation"
Deems Measure Essential
"That is my belief about it," replied
Secretary Baker.
80. in order to carry out the pur-
noses for which we have entered this
war. successfully to prosecute it, this
narticular measure you deem essen
tjal?" asked Senator Johnson.
II believe that to be the fact" re.
plied the Secretary. "Mc own judg-
ment about il originally was that nine.
teen should be the minimum, and
came to the eighteen minimum only
after very thorough study of the stu
I alton, and with some reluctance, but
finally believing it to be necessary te
to hpr nf
"The Presidents policy is that the
United States will concentrate it's mill
tary efforts en- the Western front ir
France, including the Italian frontier
as part of the Western front. The
theory of the fighting in the future is
that we must force the issue and wiz
it on the Western front"
General March also appeared in per
son before the committee and testifie
with reference to the change in the
draft ages as follows: -
Must Provide Men
1.-THE United States government has
been asked by her allies to embark
upon a programme so large that it
was necessary very carefully to ascer-
tain whether we could go through with
/. or not, and one of the features of
this enlarged progra au1me was provid-
ing men. The desire of the Admin
istration is to establish limits, both
maximum and minimum, which will ac-
complsh this programme and at the
same time disorganize the industries
OF the country as little as possible.
"The policy of the War Department
is to put the maximum number OF
men in France with the idea of short
$h1 4,
hgures furnished by the provost
marshal general that we could embarl
on programme of eighty divisions in
divisions at home. These divisions
consist of, roughly, 10000 men to &
division. After prolonged study of the
available man power of the United
States the provost marshal genera
showed that it was necessary to dror
TO eighteen years Of age and go te
lorty-tlve in order to get the men tc
carry it through. All of the men OBJ.
famed under the proposed change II
the draft law-approximately 100000
we expect to have in France by June
30, 1919"
Young Men Favored
"As matter of fact, is it not you,
opinion that it is better for the coun
ny, better for the army, better for thu
service, to call out these younge1
e!asses-that is, the men eighteen
Nineteen and twenty years Of age-thal
Is TO call out the men thirty-two ant
up Senator Reed asked. "ls not tina
Jour personal opinion ?"
My opinion is unqualihedly in favo
oi the young man." General March re
pied. "The young men betwee,
~sighteen and twenty are usually no
married; they have not settled dow
IN HE; they have not any encum
cally.
The President has finally announce,
mat the American military policy from
his time on is centred on the Wester,
'front.', and we have declined to be di
nsrted from that one thing. The Wa
department has now adopted this as
ygcncy, and it is the policy of tn
SANed States that the military pro
s'a!nmc is to be centred in France.
the ages are changed to eighteen
p" !orty-hye the system of voluntee
ssahstments in the United States arm
disappears.
America Must Whip Foe
The purpose of America is to fur
rsh c'sh enough man power to whip tn
usernans from now on. The only wa
.aM Germany can be whipped is b
.Nanerica going into this thing with he
"aoie strength"
Then America has got to pu
,"pugn mon over there to whip Ger
"sny" Senator Kirby asked
w. ma II IL in nutshell" Genera
march are, replied.