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Show CONSCRIPTION OF ALIENS SUBJECT OF AN AGREEMENT WASHINGTON. Jan. SO. Agreement Km ween the United States and Great . Britain and Canada on the terms of separate sep-arate conscription conventions which only await, tho signatures of the representa-Hves representa-Hves of the governments concerned, was announced today by Secretary Lansing in a letter to Chairman Dent of the house military committee. The conventions give to the citizens of each country the option of returning to their own country for military service within a fixed period, after which they would be subject to military duty under the laws and regulations of the countrv in which they reside. They would also permit each country to exempt nationals from military service if deemed necessary. neces-sary. Unforeseen Difficulties. Secretary Lansing's letter to Chairman Dent said unforeseen difficulties had interposed in-terposed themselves in the negotiations, as, for example, the revolution in Russia ; ud the German drive in Italy and In the interest of obtaining agreements It was deemed best first to report an agreement agree-ment if possible with some "country which might be used hs a mode! for the agreements agree-ments with tho other countries. "U is with pleasure, the secretary wrote, "thafl have to report that at the present time we are in aereement with drr.it Rntain and with Canada as to the i.crnm of .separate eonHci iption convention conven-tion whirl! now. hut for a few verbal chants, await tint Mynaturc of the rep-re.sentar.i rep-re.sentar.i ws of t he ernments r)n-eeriifj, r)n-eeriifj, he-lore being sent to the senate. Option Is Given. "In hriof t liese -onven tions, which are in effect pra.cti''ally alike, ive to per-sons per-sons under the c-on ven tion the option to re t urn to their own country for military service within a certain limited period. A tor l he expira t ion of this period, such prisons are buhje't to military service under the law an J retulatioiiH of the country In which thoy choose to remain, provided that for British and Canadians in the United .States the ages for military mili-tary service shah be 20 to 4u years, both inclusive, and in respect to Americans in (ireat Britain and Canada the ayes for military service shall be limited to thoso of the draft act of May IS, 1917. "These conventions also give the right to the contracting parties to exempt their citizens or subjects from military service abroad in case it la regarded as necessary or desirable. The remaining1 provisions of the convention are of less j importance and need not be mentioned here." ' Secretary Lansing communicated the ! same information to the senate military committee. The hill to enforce military service of so-called alien slackers was held up in , the house today on representations from the state department that It would embarrass em-barrass negotiations with France and Italy. Senator Chamberlain, author of the same legislation in the senate, said he favored it despite diplomatic negotiations. |