New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-08-08
Aliens and the Draft


strands of the knotty problem of alien
eligibility to military service. Until that
ruling was made no registration board
knew exactly what to do with the non
enemy aliens whom the selective draft law
had compelled TO register. Enemy aliens,
although illogically included in the popula-
ton subject TO CONSUMPTION and counted In
determining state and local quotas, are, Of
course, not permitted to enter the army.
Most of the boards have got rid of them
by classifying them among the physically
disqualified. But the other aliens, who are
also compelled to register and are also
counted against state in its quota have
been puzzle. There was nothing in the
draft regulations to show whether they
were automatically excluded or not
General Crowder has tactfully suggested
to the boards that they permit friendly"
alien registrants TO volunteer. What
friendly" means is not entirely clear. 1t
may refer to the aliens who are citizens or
subjects of the other Entente powers, or it
may include citizens or subjects of powers
whose relation to us in this war is one of
friendly neutrality. However that may
he, non-enemy aliens of both these classes
are already allowed to volunteer for the
regular army. There can, therefore, be no
harm, in General Crowder's opinion, in al
lowing them the same privilege of volun-
teering for the conscript army.
Congress and the Administration have
been slow in meeting the situation raised
by the inclusion of all aliens in the con-
scription lists A bill is pending which
directs the State Department to conclude
agreements with the other Entente govern
ments, by which their subjects and citizens
here, eligible to military service, may either
be taken into our army or be sent home for
military duty. The simplest solution, 80
far as our allies are concerned, would be
a special, temporary exchange service COM
pact with each nation. But no such agree
ment, which is necessarily reciprocal in
effect, can be made with any nation which
is now neutral.
Another bill is pending which requires
the deportation of non-enemy aliens who
utCllU6 W StINtS dlIlOuGu lOuLu NudlillcOs
This measure was drawn in response to a
very general though thoughtless COM
plant. Shall we allow non-enemy aliens,
including Austrians, Hungarians, Bulgari-
ans and Turks, to remain here and enjoy
the larger opportunities for remunerative
work which have come with the war while
Americans are being sent to the battle
line? Ths is the argument behind the
Burnett bill.
II is not a sound argument. The war
must be fought out on the economic side
as we'll as on the military side. Labor at
home is needed to win it, as well as armies
in the field. The non-enemy aliens here
constitute labor reserve which any other
belligerent would be glad to have at its
command. The French government has
been bringing in Asiatics TO till the soil
and to work in the cruder industries. If
the war lasts a couple of years longer all
the Allied nations in Europe will be forced
TO draw more and more on friendly alien
labor. 1t would be a costly economic
blunder for the United States to deport
fit for military service, and are therefore fit
for work on the farms and in the factories.
Complaint about the automatic exemp-
ton of aliens who have been put on the
draft lists would die down if Congress
would do its duty in the direction of equal
izing the draft apportionment 1t is wrong
to play the alien factor both ways against
state or a city. If aliens are TO be auto
matically exempted from the draft they
ought to be ignored in determining draft
quotas.
This city is charged with padded quota,
representing population at least 1 100, 900
IN excess Of our real population. The re-
suits of the state military census, just an
nounced, indicate a population for New
York City, according TO the census takers,
of 5,462,277. The state authorities have
estimated the population here between six
teen and ffty-two years of age as so per
cent of the full population. That is an
overestimate. The tabulations worked out
after the Federal census Of 1910 showed
that the percentage Of population between
sixteen and fifty-two years Of age is nearer
So per cent than so per cent. Even admit
ting some deficiencies in registration the
population Of the city, as indicated by the
state census, is therefore below 100000.
Yet the Federal Census Bureau arbitrarily
credited New York City with $500 85 in
habitants. Moreover, probably 20 per cent
Of our registrants are aliens, 50 that our
citizen population has 10 furnish a quota
vastly in excess Of is just share.
Admission 70 the conscript army OF
friendly aliens who are willing TO waive
automatic exemption may help little. But