New-York tribune., 1917-07-17
Juggling of Figures to
Throw Burden on North
Is Charged
Pomerene, Democrat,
Leads in Attack
Brandegee Says Even Pa
triotic Men Balk at
Loaded Dice

Washington, July Ex-senator Pom
creme, of Ohio, Democrat, charged in
the Senate to-day that draft census re-
turns had been juggled and deliberate
ly padded so as to throw the burden of
conscription on the North and advance
the interests of Democratic states in
the South and West.
Specifically, it is said that the North
ern cities have been called upon to
send more than their just proportion
of men to the front, while the South
and West are to be let off with fewer
than their rightful quota. Figures in
the North. it is said, have been raised
far beyond the claims of the states
themselves, while in the South they
have been reduced below those estab-
lished in the census of seven years ago.
Senator Pomerene's accusation was
promptly backed by further figures Of
fered by Senator Brandegee, Of Con-
necticut, and Senator Lodge of Massa-
chusetts. The Senate was so much
impressed by their proofs that it ct
once passed a resolution demanding
prompt report from the Bureau Of
Census in Secretary Redfeld's depart
ment.
Senator Lodges Protest
eve are accustomed" said Senator
Lodge, "to bearing the taxation burden
and seeing the receipts from this tax
alton spent somewhere else, but think
it is a little hard to have our census
figures padded so that we shall give
more than our propottion of soldiers,
when the favored sections give less"
Senator Brandegee contributed some
startling statistics.
Il desire to call attention not only
to the injury done to the state and
TO the cities by over-estimating their
population, but it so happens, as shown
by a table put into the record by the
junior Senator from New York, Mr..
Calder, that inasmuch as all the aliens
in this country are exempt from the
draft, and inasmuch as the proportion
of aliens in many Of the Southern
States varies from y to l or perhaps
2 per cent, while the proportion of
aliens in some of the Northern States
varies from 10 TO 20 per cent of the
population, the result of eXempting all
Of the aliens from the draft is not only
10 excuse them from service, but place
pro rata. according to the total popu-
iation of a state, upon American citi
zens the burden of defending the lives
and properties of the aliens who are
enjoying the benefits of the institu-
tions of the country.
New Britain Cited.
Somebody wrote me the other day
that they had taken poll of several
of the large factories in the town Of
New Britain, which developed that
there were $500 aliens and $500 Ameri-
can citizens engaged in those two or
three factories. The result is that the
$500 aliens are going to remain there,
while a large proportion of the $500
Americans are going TO be drafted and
sent abroad TO defend the $500 aliens
who are exempted.
"No matter how patriotic men may
be or how willing to submit their des-
tiny to the turn of the wheel and 70
the gamble Of the draft, they do not
want TO play with loaded dice, and
they do not want TO take twice the
chance of being drawn 10 go TO death
and disease than a man has to take II
he lives in some other state. To that
extent, il seems to me tremendou;
wrong was committed; or, to put II