New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-11-29
Reaching Alien Slackers

Reaching Alien Olackers
A great deal of man-power now going
TO waste will be utilized when the treaties
covering the CONSUMPTION Of alien slackers
which Secretary Lansing is negotiating are
put into effect. There are now in the
United States several hundred thousand
British, French, Italian and other Ally
subjects of draft age. Many of these have
taken out first naturalization papers. 9th
ers have shown no desire to change their
citizenship. 1t has been puzzle to us to
know exactly what to do with them.
Congress included all aliens in the regis
tration on which the draft quotas for the
states we're computed. 1t excluded from
CONSUMPTION all enemy aliens, but left the
status of the others somewhat indefinite.
Existing treaties protected from involun-
tarv military service the nationals Of GER
tain countries-some Allies, some neutrals.
1t would have been a breach of interna-
tional comfy to draft neutral nationals
into our army. 1t would have been inJudl-
cious 10 draft Allied nationals without first
getting the consent Of their governments.
Congress wanted to brush aside all in
ternational restraints. Its object was to
get the aliens of draft age-enemies ex-
cluded-into military service. 1t was anX-
ious to get them into our armies, because
a grave discrimination against the
states with relatively large alien popula-
items could thus be partially removed.
These states have been compelled to fur
nish quotas based on their entire popula-
tion-which put double burden on the
citizen element. Some schemes considered
in Congress last summer provided for the
CONSUMPTION of all except enemy aliens.
Others aimed at the CONSUMPTION of such
non-enemy aliens as had taken out first
naturalization papers. Others contem-
plated the return of all Allied subjects to
their own countries and the deportation of
all neutral aliens who claimed exemption
from the draft.
Mr. Lansing objected TO hasty legisla-
ton on a problem which bristled with in
ternational difficulties. He finally induced
Congress to hold its hand, promising to ne
rotate agreements which would make res
ident aliens available for military service,
either here or in their own countries. He
now reports that he has drawn up con-
scription treaties with various Allied ma
tons and will submit them TO the Senate
next month.
II is obvious that such agreements must
be reciprocal and that standard form OF
compact is highly desirable. Our treaty
with Great Britain is expected to serve as
a model for the others. Since the British
CONSUMPTION age limit is much higher than
ours, the easiest way out is probably to
allow US TO recall Americans in Great
Britain between twenty-one and thirty-one
years of age and to allow Great Britain
TO recall British subjects living here who
are between eighteen and forty-one years
Of age. It would be simpler, and to our
advantage, to apply our CONSUMPTION laws
10 British subjects here and to allow the
British government to apply British laws
10 Americans within its jurisdiction. But
that process is open to the objection OF
setting I'D two standards Of military obi
gation-one for Americans at home and
another for Americana abroad 1t would
also make wide breach in established
conceptions Of nationality.
Il is not likely that any neutral govern.
rnent would sign a treaty with us permit
ting US 10 conscript its nationals. The
neutral nationals problem will therefore
remain. But il is not big problem. To
trS to drive this class into our armies by
threatening deportation is short~sighted
policy. Neutral aliens who remain here
h and work are certainly doing a valuable
economic service.
The main thing is 70 destroy the present
immunity Of the subjects and citizens Of
Allied countries who are lodging military
duty. Those Of them Of military age ought
10 be made use Of either by US or by their
home governments. II we follow the ex-
change method no national susceptbilities
will be offended But in that case Con-
gress ought 10 repair the gross inequalities
4 Of the draft apportionment. Non-avail-
able aliens should be excluded in comput-
ing state quotas. Thus the burdens of
CONSUMPTION here would be more fairly
distributed. At the same time a material
reinforcement would be furnished TO our
European allies, VINO are just now in far
greater need Of rnan-power than we are.
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