Evening journal., 1919-01-03
SPEED MUSTER OUT,
Is GREEN'S DEMAND
lowan Tells House a Joker
Keeps Force Under
Arms
POMP ABROAD
COMES In FOR ATTACK

WASHINGTON, Jan. 3.-Wrath at tn
manner In which the War Department
Is mlshsndlng soldiers pay and allot
ments and indignation at the Admins
tration for alleged mislnterpretstion
OF the draft law by keeping men II
The army when they are urgently de-
manding their return 10 civil life boiled
over In The House yesterday. Repre-
sentative Green lIa.l. Representative
Mann till) and Others took advantage
OF The loose rules governing general
debate on the rivers and harbors ap
propriation bill 10 speak their minds
in a way which could not be mistaken.
The treatment given wounded men was
roundly denounced, too, and the pomp
and coremonyof the Presidents enteg-
balnment abroad did not escape a
tongue lashing
The Administration, particularly the
War Department was bitterly de-
nounced by Mr.. Green for the apparent
intention OF keeping a million and a
quarter soldiers, most OF them drafted
men. In service In Europe and big
army at home even after the war Is Of
utlNIiH tUUAlHMtM U1 "A HfhNN IARAAAAAe~
ton. Following this course Is direct
violation Of the spirit OF the selectlvo
service act and is made possible only
because The War Department had chos-
en- to take advantage Of technlcallty in
the wording Of the law, Mr.. Green de-
clared.
Referring TO a recent statement OF the
Secretary Of War that II is intended TO
keep thirty-two divisions OF American
troops in Europe and TO the statement
OF the Chief OF Stan that 1t is intended
to discharge but $4,000 men from the
army on this side of the ocean In the
immediate future, Mr.. Green said:
40 say that the people at large were
surprised and even astOnlshed at these
statements is putting IL mildly. The
country had been expecting that all not
enlisted for a definite term would be
discharged as soon as possible after
peace became an established fact even
though It had not been ofilcially pro-
claimed.
1T seems, however, that what might
be called a joker crept into the selec-
tive service bill whereby instead Of be-
ing enlisted for the duration Of the war
the soldiers were taken during the pc |
riod Of the existing emergency The
emergency then existing Is over, but
the language permits the President TO |
put any construction he desires on 1t.
"Under Il the men can be kept not
only during the war but for an in
definite period after peace has been pro- |
claimed and apparently II Is The inten-
ton OF the officers in command 10 re-
tain in the service some organizations
which have been longest enlisted.
"The effect has been not only to flll
with gloom the hearts Of thousands OF
patriotic citizens who were flrst to offer
their services by volunteering or being
In the National Guard, but to plunge
into dependency thousands OF Others
who thought peace would bring the re-
turn OF their loved ones and relief from
the burdens Of war"
A fair and reasonable" construction
OF the wording Of the draft law would
make existing emergency apply to
the duration Of the war. Mr.. Green
said, and he added that that eonstruc-
fion was in the mind Of Congress when
the bin was passed.
"Under no fair construction could the
words possibly be construed 10 cover a
period beyond the declaration OF peace"
be insisted. Whatever emergency may
arise after that event or has recently
come into existence 10 is not the one
which existed at the time the selectve
service act was passed.
"Clear and plain as this Is, Il is
equally clear and plain that the War
Department has no intention OF so con-
strung lt Every move now made shows
that Il is the intention to keep a great