The Colorado statesman., 1917-06-30
"HOW old ARE YOU?"
Question of Vital Interest in This
Country Now.
Uncle Sans Census Experts Point Out
How War Has Emphasized I'm
portance of Birth Registration.
How old are you?

How old are your
Neven in the history of this coun-
try has this question been of such VI
tai interest to so many people as 1t Is
today.
Never before has the United States
government been so deeply Interested
in knowing the exact ages of the young
men of the land.
officials of Uncle Sans census bu-
reau believe that in view of these
facts, the public mind has never be-
fore been so ready to grasp the great
Importance of complete birth registra-
ton. officials of the bureau in
statement on this subject say:
'In ordinary times, as the years go
by and problem after problem is TAX
en- up and settled, our civilization
grows; and the more rapidly these
problems are taken up and settled
the more rapidly this civilization
grows.
"In ordinary times the continual de-
mands upon our attention, first by one
problem and then by another, easily
explain the temporary sidetracking
in so many states of the problem of
complete birth registration. 1t is not
because the people believe birth regis
tration unimportant, but the prob
lem has simply been crowded to one
side until more favorable day.
"When the story is told of the Amer
lean arrested in London as German
spy, unable to obtain birth certifi-
cate because his birth had never been
recorded and because the doctor had
died, the people grasp the point and
agree that births should be registered;
but as the story relates to somebody
far away, somebody unknown, and
probably never heard of before, the
point is soon forgotten and no wave
of strong public opinion is ever really
started. So, too, the statements that
birth records are needed to prove men
of voting age, to establish old-age pen
sions and pensions for children of sol
diers, to establish rights of inheri-
tance, to determine how efficiently the
states are protecting the health of the
children, and to determine who is en-
titled to the protection of our flag,
these statements are too apt to be
treated as old axioms which call for
no immediate reform.
"The need for complete birth regis
tration is recognized, but the inertia
of the people still prevails.
"Thus, in ordinary times, the prob
lens of civilization are settled slow
ly, but not so in time of war or after
great catastrophies.
"The city devastated by fire is so
rebuilt as to guard against second
confiagration.
"The terrible loss of life which fol-
lows overlooking an excursion steamer
soon results in more stringent laws
and in greater safety for future trav-
elers.
"And today the war call for the reg
istration of our young men brings
home the need of birth records to ev-
cry community and to almost every
family in the United States.
"Can you prove that you are under
twenty-one or over thirty-one, or must
you forever be suspected of having
falsified your age?
perhaps a fond mother, to save
her son from the horrors of the
trenches, may swear that he is below
the age limit; perhaps years later
proof will be found that this man
should have registered; imagine his
chagrin at not having done his part
in the war.
"Perhaps there are slackers who,
in the absence of birth records, may
be able to shirk registration.
"Surely, the need of complete birth
registration is evident to all.
MAY we not hope that the call for
the registration of all men between
the ages of twenty-one and thirty-one
will awaken the people from their leth-
argy and lead at once to this forward
step in our civilization-the ngistra-
ton of every birth?"