New-York tribune., 1917-06-10
Al Persons Between 10 and
50 Must Answer Cen
sus Questions
Purpose to Distribute
Burden Of War
State viii List Those Liable
for Service in Militia
When Guard Goes
to Front

-o.~orrow morning At o'clock every
.,nmun,.y in the State Of New York
ail begin registering its human re-
..rrccs available for the prosecution
..,be var. Every power of both sexes
,s,ween the ages of sixteen and fifty
,,,, answer before June 26 long list
- questions. the men thirty-four, in
.'rsinr numerous subdivisions, and
.so vomen twcnty-seven. 1t has been
I'D that when all the returns are in
and their digestion accomplished a
work Of months the state will know
rore about you than you know about
,op,.els. and this will apply TO every
,ne Of her 100000 or more sons and
daughters. both native and adopted,
within the age limits.
In pamphlet entitled instructions
for Census Agents. printed at Albany,
the purpose behind this military census
is set forth 3s follows:
"The reason for taking the military
census a. this time is that modern war
f.re demands. if the maximum strength
n nation is 10 be exerted, that the
,opulation shall be completely mob
;li1sd for war. This means that full
attenuation shall be available in this
country not only as to the small num-
her Of men capable of bearing arms,
bpt As 10 the entire man-power Of the
nation. so that in case the present war
,borl. prove to he long, persons could
be transferred to positions in which
,bsy arc not best serving their country
so,her positions in which their maxi
Nm efficiency would be eXerted.
Applies to Women, Also
"This consideration applies equally
70 men and women. It is hoped and
sxpected that the present war will not
rscessitate any marked interference
with the industrial organization of the
state. nor require any wide transplant
ing Of the population, but 1t is deemed
essential that the information should
be secured at once so that if il should
prove necessary TO use it il would be
available without loss OF time. This
is indispensable to proper distribu-
tion Of the burden imposed by war"
The census agent is given to under
staAd that registration does not con-
stitate eonscriptIon. The "lnstruc-
tions" continue:
Every person registered may be as
sIred that the information compiled is
simply FOR the purpose of enabling the
state 20 distribute the burden of war,
If II should prove TO be long drawn out,
eauitably upon the entire population
according 10 the capacity of each in
dvidual 20 sustain mis- share, taking
into consideration whether he is mar
ned or single. those dependent upon
him. his occupation, and his physical
condition"
II may be added that so far the Gov
ernor does not possess the authority
II he had the ability, to turn Wal
Street clerk into farmer, to put oui
wives and daughters TO work IN NUM-
ton plants or 10 transfer father from
the otfce 20 the factory. He dots hact
the authority. however, 10 draft al.
ablebodied men between the ages OF
eighteen and fortyfve, subject TO GER
tain exemptions, into the state militia
and he purposes enrolling all such men
when aey register. On this point the
pamphlet Of instructions has this to
say:
viii List Eligibles
"Tue military law provides that
Whenever the Governor shall deem II
necessary he may order an enrolment
10 be made byzoficials designated by
him Of all persons liable TO service IN
the militia The Governor has decided
as a par. Of the census and inventory
% order such an enrolment, thus tax
ing advantage Of the machinery created
for the purpose Of obtaining The CEN
sUs % obtain q list Of persons liable 70
service .r the militia. The primary
purpose o. the enrolment is 70 furnish
list which viii be quickly available
FOR t-e use Of the proper officials in
the event o.. a future order by the fov-