Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 March 1918 — NEW LAW WILL ADD 700.000 [ARTICLE]

NEW LAW WILL ADD 700.000

TO NATIONAL ARMY—MEN REACHING AGE OF 21 TO BE REGISTERED. Washington, March 29.—The resolution extending the selective draft to men reaching the age of 21 years since June, 1917 —the firs| registration day—was passed tonight by the Senate after a futile attempt had been made to add to it a provsiion for training youths from 19 to 21 years old. It is estimated that about 700,000 men will be added to the registration this year by the resolution, which is one of the pieces of legislation on which the War Department is waiting before announcing complete plans for the next draft. It now goes to the 7 House for consideration, with the bill to base draft quotas on the number of registrants in class 1 instead of on population, another of the administration measures already passed by the Senate. The proposal to require training of boys more than 19 and under registration age was in the form of an amendment by Senator New of Indiana, which the Senate rejected, 36 to 26, after a debate of several days. A number of senators who favor universal military training as a peacetime policy voted against the Amendment.

As adopted, the resolution provides that all male citizens of the United States residing in this country, attaining their majority since June 5 last, shall be subject to registratioh, under regulations prescribed by the President; shall present themselves for registration on a day proclaimed by the President, and thereafter shall be liable to military service. There was no opposition to the resolution itself, the only controversy being over the New amendment. Opponents of th§ plan argued that training youths would hamper urgent army enterprises and take the labor from farms and factories without providing soldiers for immediate needs at the front. Strong sentiment for universal compulsory military training was apparent, how T ever, and today’s vote was not regarded as foreshadowing future action on Senator Chamberlain’s universal training bill. Principal opposition to Senator New’s proposal came' from the Democratic side of the Senate, although four Democratic members— Chamberlain of Oregon, King of Utah, Gerry of Rhode Island and Myers ox Montana—voted for its

adoption. Five Republicans—Bpnh of Idaho, Gronna.of North Dakota, Jones of Washington, Norris of Nebraska and Townsend of Michigan—joined with the Democrats in 1 rejecting the amendment