Catoctin clarion., 1917-03-29

Governor Harrington alta meeting with
his committee on preparedness and sur
vey in Baltimore last week, decided to
take census of the male citizens OF the
State in order to know who and how ma
nv men can be relied on for service If
needed in case of war with Germany IN
the very near future.
The census means that the name and
the vital facts concerning every able
bodied man in the State of Maryland,
white and black, will be on file with the
State authorities. 1t also means that
should the need arise, every able-bodled
man may be drafted into the military
81 rvice of the country.
Should war come. it is the opinion OF
many that there would be sufficient VOL
unteers to make draft unnecessary. 1t
the volunteers should not suffice, how.
ever, the Government, under Federal
laws, has full power to draft. And 1t Is
to provide for this emergency, as well as
to secure 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 un-
der authority conferred by State laws.
1t means that, should war come, with
out any further legislation whatever,
system of compulsory universal military
service could be put into effect i'll this
country at once if it were deemed neces-
sary. Up to this time few persons have
realized this fact.
The taking of the census means that
every male person in Maryland between
the ages of l8 and as years will be re-
quired to answer questions which will en-
able the state and Federal authorities to
determine his fitness to bear arms for
the State or country. 1t means that
these statistics will be on file if they
should be needed and thus expedite the
work of national defense to tremend-
GUS extent in this State.
1t does not mean that the State or the
Federal Governments is preparing to draft
anyone into bearing arms. There is no
cause for alarm in this census. Even the
authority by which it is taken isnot new.
While specifically it is based on the Act
of 1916, this act was but recapitulation
of similar Acts of 1908. 1896. and others
before these dates.
Boiled down to its essentials, the TAX
ing of the military census means that
the Governor is utilizing right which
has been given him by the laws of Mary
land for many years, but which has not
been exercised, heretofore. 1t has not,
for this reason, been generally known
that the term militia" by the law OF
the State, meant every citizen in the
State, between the ages of l8 and 45
years capable of bearing arms. The law
divides the militia into two sections, the
active" and the "unorganized' militia.
The first of these is the Maryland Ma
tional Guard and the second is every
other male person in the State with GER
tain exemptions. 1t is the statistics OF
this second half, of the "unorganized
militia" which the census intends to
enumerate.
If the occasion ever should arise by
which the State or the Federal authori-
ties need to draft men to defend the
United States flag, these statistics will
be of inestimable value and will save
weeks of work.
When Congress passed the Hay bill,
the Maryland Legislature re-enacted it's
own law in such terms as to fit into the
provisions of the Hay bill, and the Gov
ernor is now authorizing the gathering
of such data as will make this law pos
sible of application without vast chaos
of hurried questioning and surveying Of