New Britain herald., 1917-02-20
CITY NOW READY TO
 HUSTLE ITS CENSUS
Regimental Chaplain and State
 Chairman Explain Its Details

If it be true that there are fifty eight languages spoken in New Brit ain, then each one of the fifty-eight was represented at the mass meet ing of patriotic citizens in the Cram mar school hall last evening for the purpose of hearing Rep. Irving Berg and Hon. Joseph w Alsop explain the reason for and the method of taking the military preparedness census of the state. National colors decorated l the auditorium, but there was no hy- strical demonstration. All present were Americans and no blood tingling l music was necessary to show them their duty. Men born years ago in England sat beside men born in Ger many. Men from France mingled with those from Austria Hungary. Italians. swedes, Poles. Russians, He- l brews Irish, Danes, Dutch, Ltthua- nians. Armenians, Greeks and all oth- CT representatives from Europe were assembled. Personal beliefs were l forgotten and racial and sectarian i lines were wiped out under the com | mon bond of Amer1canism. When l the meeting was over and Chaplain Berg called for volunteers to- assist 1 Chairman A. F. Corbin in obtaining 1 the required census the entire as- semblage of four or five hundred men rose as one. body to offer it's services.
 New Britain is safe. All its citizens are Americans.
 Don't Say 'Tet George Do It."
 Acting Mayor M Irving Jester
 called the meeting to order and in l ~,,Lo
 briefly outlined what must be done in New Britain and introduced the two 1 principal speakers. Before so doing l however. MT. Corbin said he had no
 doubt that the response to any call for census assistants would be i'm mediate. Chaplain Berg of the First Connecticut Infantry, who saw active
 service on the Mexican border last
 summer, explained to the meeting the
 real need for such 8 census as must 1 be taken and brought home forcibly ] the duty of every man to assist in l obtaining dt.' He said that too much do the American people say, when something difficult or unpleasant must be done, Let George do it." | We've all got to be Georges In this instance" he said.
 l Chaplain Berg dwelt but briefly ] upon nationalitAes but said that he Is 1 not ashamed. but Is proud of the German blood that courses through | his veins as he Is of his Danish. Dutch and Scotch blood, but he is essentially an American as are all l others in this country. "1 believe 1t 1 is a falsehood to say that because a 1 man has the blood of any other na- 1 tion in his veins he is other than an American. All over this state of l Connecticut we are tonight, gentle men, American citizens," the regi- | mental chaplain said.
 Support Woodrow Wilson.
 True and false Views of peace were admitted by the army man. You can be a true advocate of peace and l an opponent of war and yet take the l necessary precautions against that l which is bound to come" he said, and 1 continued by declaring that if these 1 precautions are taken any eventual l ities that may come will be less seri- ! ous than they would be were no pre- cautions taken. He termed war a disease and precaution and prepared 1 ness the sanitation that prevents it. ] Sweeping aside all personal politics, ] Chaplain Berg shouted "Woodrow l Wilson Is the president of the United | States. He is not a dem mocratic party | president now. He represents no fac I ton. He is the head of our nation
 and we should support him.
 Referring to the census, Chaplain
 Berg expressed regret that the term 1 military had become so closely allied l with 1t, for he assured his listeners
 this census has absolutely nothing to do with militarism and is in no sense
 a conscription list or even volun-
 teer list. It is simply an inventory
 of the manpower of the state In
 case the United States went to war
 and had to raise am army of one mil
 lion men. Connectlcut's quota would
 be only 10000, the chaplain ex-
 plained. But the rest of the citizens
 would have their work to do. They
 have their personal relation with
 their country. Mechanics would be
 needed for informal stations. Clerks
 might be needed. It is simply to see
 what the people of this state can do
 in an emergency that the census Is to l be taken. There Is no need to be
 afraid of it as was one man in Hart
 ford, Chaplain Berg said, who was
 found hiding under the bed in his
 home when the enumerator came.
 Alsop Explains Census.
 Hon. Joseph W. Alsop is chairman
 of the state committee in charge of
 obtaining this census and he ex-
 pladned in detail the motive and plan.
 The complete census wirl be in two
 parts, one an inventory of men and l their qualifications, business, indus
 trial and otherwise, and secondly, a
 material inventory of the states in-
 dustr1es will not be such as to em-
 barass any manufacturer or increase 1 his federal tax. The few questions
 will embody such items as wheth CT
 or not, In the opinion of the employer 1 any men work for him whose service