The sun., 1919-02-19
HOUSE SIDETRACKS
100000 ARMY BILL
Trick Is Worked in Rules
Committee to Hinder
Measure.
WILL BE A SENATE TASK
Smell Objects to Wasting Time
on Legislation Not Now
Needed.
WILL BE A SENATE TASK
Special Despatch TO TEE Sun.

Special Despotch to TIE sUN.
WARRINGTON, Feb. 1s.-By a piece OF
legislative trickery the small army men
in the House resumed direction Of
military legislation to-day and placed
themselves in a position to wipe out
the proposed temporary army Of $780,
men in favor of the small regular army
provisions of the national defence act
OF 1915.
After the Military Committee by
vote OF IL to had approved the legisla-
tive rider written by Representative
Kahn (CaD and providing the temporary
army required by the War Department
during the period of reconstruction i'm
mediately succeeding the proclamation OF
peace, IL was necessary to obtain a spe-
cial rule to permit consideration of this
legislation in the House. The Rules Com
mittee with the moral support of the de-
feated small army men, on the COM
mittee, instead OF voting a rule placing
the legislative rider within the rules,
voted to bring up an entirely different
measure. which merely provides for a
return to voluntary enlistments
This bill. which was first proposed by
the Secretary OF War and passed by the
Senate, had been reported out by the
House committee, but bore no relation
20 the general army legislation proposed
in the appropriation bill. 1t was merely
intended to authorize the Secretary Of
War to accept voluntary enlistments
which was forbidden in the draft act.
The House after short debate was
forced TO vote for the rule thus reported,
as vote against the rule would have
been susceptible to the construction that
1t was vote against voluntary enlist
| ments and In favor OF retaining the
drafted men in the army.
The action OF the Rules Committee
was vigorously attacked as a usurpation
Of the powers OF the Military Committee
and an evidence of the desire OF the COM
mittee to WELD a club over the House.
This was pointed out by Representative
| Smell On. W, member of the Rules
Committee, who led the fight against the
| special rule.
THE only objection that was brought
up in the committee against the rule
that was asked for by the Military Com
mittee." said Mr.. Smell, was that IL we
! adopted that rule we would commit this
country to a standing army OF 500. 900
| men as peace time proposition.
| maintain that has nothing to do with It,
at is simply a question Of whether
we want to consider at this time the
/ legislation that the Military Affairs
Committee brings to our attention, and
we suppose they know what 1t is neces-
sary to consider and what should be
brought before the House at this time
l am informed that the Senators who
presented the bill at the other end OF the
! Capitol say at this time that this bill
does not cover the entire situation. and
| II will be necessary in consideration OF
the regular military appropriation bill
/ to go back to the Rules Committee AND
ask for a further rule to provide for leg.
! islation that is actually necessary.
80 what is the use OF spending time
| on this when It does no- meet condition,
confronting US at the present time,
! What l want to do Is to take up the