New Britain herald., 1917-07-17
FIGURES
STIR UP SENATE
Hearty Backing for Brandegee
ReSoluti0n-North Most Hurt

Washington, July 17.-Padding Of
census figures in various Northern
States so as to work in quality in the
operation of the selective draft system
| was charged by Senators Lodge of
massachusetts, Brandegee of Connect
icut, and Pomerene of Ohio, in a Sem
| ate debate yesterday over a resolution
| calling on the Census Bureau to ex-
plain how it had arrived at it's meth
| Cd of calculation. The three Senators
alleged that severe injustice would be
done many communities if the system
was not revised so as to make a more
| equitable draft throughout the coun-
| try. Two of the Senators are Repub-
licans, the other a Democrat and
| firm supporter of the Administration.
| Both Senators Lodge and Brande-
gee criticised the system as giving
exemption to huge numbers Of aliens
in various communities, while forcing
native-born naturalized Americans to
enlist in greater proportion, virtually
to fight for the aliens who will stay at
home. Senator Lodge insisted that
either aliens ought to be obliged to
fight in their own countries or the
i draft system should be changed so
that the quota Of enlisted men in these
largely alien communities would not
be so great.
Senator Brandegee said that the
Administration appeared to have Gre
ated draft system that relieved the
South of "anywhere near the proper
ton of conscripts that the North must
provide" Senator Lodge contended
that the Census Bureau ought to ex-
plain at once the padding of figures.
Information Asked.
The resolution calling for Informal
ton on the selective draft, as put in
bv Senator Brandegee, was adopted.
1t reads as follows
Resolved, That the Secretary Of
commerce is hereby directed to
furnish to the Senate information
which will disclose the methods
and plans or system used in esti-
mating the population of cities
and States for the purpose of mil
itary draft or consumption by the
Bureau of the Census, and also to
transmit to the Senate said esti-
mates of population.
IT am sure" said Senator Brande-
gee, that every State in the
Union desires to furnish it's full
, quota of troops for this great
population. I desire, however, to
call attention not only to the injury
done to the States and to the cities
by over estimating their population,
. but it so happens, as shown by a
table put into the record by the jun
ior Senator from New York, Mr.. CAL
der. that, inasmuch as all the aliens
in this country are exempt from the
draft, and inasmuch the proper
ton of aliens in many of the South
ern States varies from one-half of 1
! per cent. to 20 per cent. of the popu-
| lation, the result of exempting all Of
the aliens from the draft is not only to
| excuse them from service, but to
place. pro rata, according to the total
population of a State, upon American
| citizens the burden of defending the
lives and properties of the aliens who
are enjoying the benefits Of the insti-
| buttons of this country
Senator Brandegee cited New Brit
ain Conn., as a striking example OF
the way in which the exemption of
| aliens was working a distinct hard
| ship upon the native-born and natur-
1 allied American population. He SAID:
"Somebody wrote me the other day
| that they had taken a poll of several
of the large factories in the town OF
New Britain which developed that
there were $500 aliens and $500
| American citizens engaged in those
two. or three factories. The result IS
that the $500 aliens are going to re-
main there, while large proportion
of the $500 Americans are going to
| be drafted and sent abroad to defend
the $500 aliens who are exempt.
mo matter how patriotic men may
be or how willing to submit their des-
tiny to the turn of the wheel and to
the gamble of the draft they do not
| want to play with loaded dice, and