The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1917-03-30
Friday, March Goth, 1917
WAR CENSUS is ORDERED

Alter d COlllSIeLCS VI o0FOlS' Oh
hours Friday, with his committee
on preparedness and survey,
Governor Harrington decided to
take the census and approved
the form submitted by Attorney
General Richie for gathering the
statistics.
The military census will start
at once.
This census means that the
name and the vital facts concern
ing every abIe-bodied man in the.
State, white and black, will be
on file with the State authorities.
And it also means that should
the need arise, every able-bodied
man between the ages of Is and
as years may be drafted into the
military service of the country.
1t is the opinion of many that
should war come there would be
sufficient volunteers to make
draft unnecessary. If the volun-
teers should not suffice, however.
the Government, under Federal
laws. has full power to draft,
And it is also to provide for this
emergency as. we'll as to secure a
registration of male citizens and
their qualifications for special
kinds Of work in case of war
that the Governor of Maryland
and Governors of other States
have ordered the census taken
under authority conferred by
State laws.
1t means that should war come
without any further legislation,
a system of compulsory universal
military service could be put into
effect in this country at once, if
it were deemed necessary. Up
to this time few persons have
realized this fact.
The usual statistics must be
answered re garding name,
weight, age, date and place of
birth. etc., and whether you are
married or single. The remand
err of the blank deals with the
ability of the person to serve the
State or country. It records
military or naval experience, if
any, and the mechanical exper-
fence or training that might rem
der him peculiarly efficient in
time of needs, such as ability to
drive an automobile, operate a
marine gasoline engine, wire
less plant, etc.
The Act of 1916 states that a
penalty of $40 shall be visited for
each violation upon every person
falling to give all information re-
quested by the enrolment officer
or giving false information. The
penalty is for each violation.
In Baltimore city the census
will be taken under the jurisdic-
ton of the Board of Police Com
mlssloners and the work will be
done by the patrolmen. In the
counties committee of five per-
sons will be appointed in each by
the Governor to handle the CEN
sus taking. The Governor slso
will appoint one man who will
have charge Of the census of the
entire State.
After issuing a call for volun-
teers, the Governor may draft
such classes of men as the ex-
lgency may require. He may
limit the draft to unmarried men,
or to those of a certain age, or to
those having no dependents.
These provisions are left to his
discretion. When the class of
the draft has been settled, the
draft will be made by lot. The
sheriffs will do the drawing and
in the same manner as the Sc
lection of a jury
Also by the authority of the
Hay bill, which gives the power
of the draft to the President,
directly, he may require these
statistics Of the Governor and
proceed to draft himself from
the facts with which they will
furnish him.
Consequently the draft may
take either of two forms. The
President may draft the Mary
land National Guard into the SER
vice of the Government and the |
Governor. after calling for volun-
teers, may draft to fill up the |
quota of the guard; or the Presi- |
dent, if the crisis be sufficient,
may draft those designated by the
census into the Federal service.
Exemptions will not figure in
taking the census. All persons
between the ages of Is and IS
will be required to fill out the
blanks, but these claiming to be
Il