The Washington times., 1920-04-05
ARMY BILL LIKELY
TO SPLIT SENATE
Military Training Measure Ex-
pected to Split Both Par
ties Today.
BY J. BART CAMPBELL
UsteraatioaaI News servtee.)

Party lines will be rent in the
Senate this week by a bitter fight
over the universal military training
feature Of the army reorganization
bill, which that body is scheduled TO
take up today.
Led by Senator Wadsworth, Re
publican, of New York, chairman Of
the Senate Military Affairs Commit
tee, a majority Of which reported
the bill favoraLly, the proponents of
compulsory military training for
American young men are prepared
to do battle with both Republican
and Democratic Senators numbered
among its opponents.
Capper and Curtis lead Foes.
These opponents include Senators
capper and Curtis. of Kansas. both
Republicans. who declare the senti-
ment of the great agricultural inter-
ests OF the Middle West which they
represent Is Overwhelmingly against
American youths being forced to re-
linquish their civil occupations to
enter military life even for a short
period.
Germany has never surpassed the
Prussianism of the Senate army re-
German adjunct-compulsor mill
tary training" Capper declared.
when the people generally learn that
this proposed plan to militarize the
country contemplates centralizing OF
the country's military forces under a
greatly enlarged general stan with
more power than even the President
himself. their opposition will not
grow less but stronger"
Some Republican leaders of the
Senate were opposed to the army re-
organization bill being taken up at
this time. for fear of the widespread
effect they predicted II would be sure
to have on the prevailing political
situation.
They said they did not favor pro-
voking a bitter debate which would
draw the country's attention to the
fact that the Republican majority of
the Senate was split on an important
military question affecting millions of
American homes.
Senator Wadsworth insisted, how
ever. the measure be considered be-
fore the army appropriation bill for
the next fiscal year. 1920-21. was
sent to the Senate after 1t Is passed
by the. House. Senator Lodge of
Massachusetts. the Republican leader.
agreed to make the bill the "unfn-
ished business" Of the Senate. which
gives 1t precedence over other pend
ing legislation In that body.
The House has already passed an
army reorganization bill without .
universal military training provision,
the House Military Affairs Committee
having refused to incorporate such q
provision in the measure. An effort
by Representative Caldwell, Demo-
crat, Of New York, to amend, the
House bill so as to provide for COM
pulsory military training was defeat
ed on a point Of order raised by Rep
resentative Hoch, Republican. of Kan
sas.
Says Country Is Opposed.
The House bill is still before the
Senate Military AfHTrs Committee. a
majority of which decided to report
a bill of it's own making to the Sen
ate instead.
''The country is clearly opposed to
a Prussianized military system" Sem
ator Curtis said. However, the advo-
Gates of compulsory universal train
ing have been active, and we shall
have a battle to defeat it. I am hope
full Of the outcome, but by no means
confident"
Passage of the universal training
provision by the Senate would tie it
up indefinitely in a conference of the
Senate and House, its opponents de-
clare, and they add no matter what
the Senate may do. a majority of the
House will never agree to it.