Evening star., 1926-01-11
DRAFT BILL SOUGHT
AS WAR DETERRENT
BY LEGION CHIEFS
Measure Affecting All Classes
Designed to Wake Strife
Hate General.
VALl"lTY OF SUCH LAW
SERIOUSLY QUESTIONED
Issue Faces Hard Shedding in Con-
gress-Debate Promises to
Be Long-Drawn.
RY DAVID LAWRENCE.

To make war so unattraCtiVe and
unpopular that the people of all classes
in the United States will hesitate
long time before permitting them
selves To be plunged by Congress into
hostilities with a foreign country is
the avowed purpose of the universal
draft law about which a controversy
is gathering.
The American Legion, mindful of
the fact that its members went TO war
on $50 a month, while day laborers
and others drew excellent wages,
much in excess of $50 a week, is de
termined that Congress shall enact
some law now covering the universal
draft of wartime, so that all laborers
and workers of all kind may be con-
scripted and paid military wages, If
necessary, and so that all manufacture
ing plants and other resources may be
taken over by the Government and
compensated for within the Govern
ment's discretion.
President Coolidge received a thun
derins ovation in Omaha at the
legion convention when he espoused
the principle behind the universal
draft. Leading Democrats, as well as
Republicans. are favorable to the
measure. Senator Capper of Kan
sas, Republican. and Representative
Royal Johnson, Republican, are spon-
soring the bill. Senator Capper says
he has been corresponding with men
who had actual eXperince with the
problem during the war-mep like
bernard NJ. Baruch. chairman of the
War Industries Board-and they all
think the problem should be tackled
with view TO equitable distribution
sc - f.
tributed money to Johns Hopkins
University for a special investigation
of war profiteering.
See War Deterrent.
In answer to the critics who say
war Legislation should properly be left
TO war times and that Il war is at
least 20 years away now. the pro-
ponents of the measu say they think
a universal draft law would act as a
constant deterrent. In other words, if
wealth knew that conscription of
wealth was certain there would be
little momentum from that quarter
toward entering a war. There still is
a belief among some classes of people,
particularly in the West, that the
temptation of war profits. or rather
the involvements of American banking
and manufacturing concerns in the
supply of munitions in the two years
before the United States entered the
war, had much to do with the decision
of congressional Representatives
from those sections of the country in
voting for war.
However ill.founded such theories
may be, there are other critics in
Congress who have been contending
that war profits were entirely too
great and that the men who did the
fighting suffered by comparison.
Labor, of course, has pointed out
many flaws in the proposed bill, arSu-
ing thar the measure would be uncon-
stitutional, but while there are differ
enCeS of opinion as to method, there
seems TO be unanimous support behind
the idea of equal distribution of war
burdens.
Wilbur and Davis Differ.
Secretary Wilbur of the Navy De-
partment is quoted as doubling the
constitutionality of certain provisions
of the Capper-Johnson bill, believing 1t
would set up war dictatorship. while
Secretary Davis of the War Depart
ment takes the opposite view.
In any event, the principal differ
ence is on method. Therefore it has
been suggested that a special commits
sion he appointed to investigate the
problem and report recommendations
10 Congress, so that there can be no
doubt of the validity of the legisla-
tion finally adopted. It's an easy COM
promise. as Congress doesn't hesitate
to appoint commission whenever a
troublesome problem comes along. but
IN this case there is feeling that
little will be accomplished in the de-
bates unless the proponents OF the
measure can bring forth comprehen-
sive data covering all points that will
he raised Hearings are to begin soon
before the Senate military affairs COM
nlttee. which will develop some of
the points at issue, but. at best, the
American Legion will have 10 keep
pushing hard to get action. for the
opposition to any draft law enacted in
peace time is unquestionably strong
enough at the moment to delay the
passage of a bill. The champions of
the plan feel, however. thew will have
accomplished a good deal if they sue
ceed in getting a definite policy on
this subject placed on the statute
books a reminder to the war enthu-
siasts whenever a crisis in interna-
tional affairs develops.
tCopyrlght. 1926D