The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1917-07-17
Juggling and Padding of
Population Estimates
Is Alleged.
INJUSTICE" TO NORTH
East and West Also Called
On for More Than Fair
Quotas Is Claim.
ALIENS GAIN ADVANTAGE
Administration of Law At
tackled by Brandegee, Pom
creme and Lodge.
ALIENS GAIN ADVANTAGE

WASHINGTON, July 16. Startling
facts pointing to sectionalism in the
administration of the conscription law
were laid before the Senate to-day.
These facts would seem to disclose a
deliberate attempt to throw the chief
burden Of the draft on the Northern
States by the juggling of census esti-
mates.
1t was charged in the Senate that
the estimates of population for the
Northern States prepared by the Cen
sus Bureau for purposes of the draft
had been padded, thereby increasing
the size OF the quotas of these States,
while the estimates for Southern COM
munities either had been reduced or
increased very little.
In other words, that the South was
being benefited by a intimidation of
the probable population increment of
the last seven years, while cities like
New York, Cleveland and other East
ern and Northern cities were being
called on to furnish more than their
proportion of young men through hav-
ing had their populations raised to fig
ures FAR in excess of even those
boasted of by their. own chambers of
commerce and similar bodies.
Senate Demands Explanation.
So startling were the disclosures made
to-day by Senators Brandegee, Republi-
can, Connecticut. and Pomerene, Demo-
cfat. OHIO that the Senate promptly
passed resolution demanding a prompt
report from the bureau of census in
Secretary Redfeld's department This
II Is expected will bring to light the
methods employed in thus twisting sta
tistics to meet the ends of sectional ad-
vantage.
The charge was frankly made by SEN
ator Lodge, Massachusetts, that this
|, represented but another evidence of
present day disposition in Governmental
: circles to thrust upon the States of the
East, the North and the West more than
a fair share OF the cost of the war both
In treasure and in blood. He said
, I'VE are accustomed to bearing the
taxation burden and seeing the receipts
, from this taxation spent somewhere
, else, but l think 1t is little hard to
} have our census figures padded so that
we shall give more than our proportion
OF soldiers when the favored section
gives less"
Resolution by Brandegee.
The resolution calling for the facts
} was introduced by Senator Brandegee
Il was directed to the Secretary of Com
} merce and after a brief debate IL - was
I passed by the Senate without objection
1t read: Resolved. that the Secretary
OF Commerce is hereby directed to fur
nish to the Senate information which
VIII disclose the methods and plans or
system used in estimating the popula-
tion of cities and States for the purpose
OF the military draft or conscription by
the bureau Of census, and also to trans
5 init to the Senate said estimates OF
population.
Along with the criticism OF the ad-
ministraton OF the select CONSUMPTION
act for an apparent plot to benefit the
South at the expense of other sections
the statute itself was criticised along
: lines recently defined by Senator Calder
New York, for the unfairncss OF Its
operation in communities where there
Is a large alien element in the popula-
ton, This weakness of the bill, how
ever, was lost sight of in the larger
allegation of sectional bias in it's ad-
ministration disclosed by Senator Pome-
rene.
In connection with tho charges made
to-day attention was called to the fact
that the recent campaign OF recruiting
had shown. according to figures fur
nished by the various Governors of the
States and compiled in the office o!
Provost Marshal General Crowder, that
In the enlistment OF volunteers for the
i regular army and the National Guard
organizations the South had been tho
laggard
u Comparison of Enlistments.
. With National Guard organization
III far below the general average of eff
'e cheney In more than three-quarters Of
le the Southern States the period betweeI
a the declaration of war against GERMANY
and the present time has been seasol
of but Indifferent response Throughout
the South to the call to voluntary ser
n, vice.
a. A table OF the States OF the Soutl
4, shows the calculations on a percentag,
10 basis of the fraction of State quotas al
Vs ready enlisted TO be as follows Ala
o. bama, So; Arkansas, 40 Florida, 81
er Georgia, SO 4; Louisiana, 26 Mississippi
81 "a; North Carolina, 81 South Carolina
~ So; Tennessee, "a; Texas, SO, and Vir
ginia, So.
These figures are to be compared witt
enlistments recorded in such Northern
communities as Oregon. where 30 pc
n cent. OF the full quota already has re
~ sponded to the volunteer call, or Maine
oh at the other extremity Of the natior
90 90 where "a per cent, have responded. Il
@ Rhode Island. even with the heavy allie
na population OF the industrial towns, tn
~ percentage Is TO. while Wyoming Shove
ha 50 per cent. and New Hampshire 6s,
The States OF the Middle West wher
m the war spirit was admittedly at loves
to ebb OF any region of tho Union. has al
an most without exception and even m vtev
OF tho stanohly pro-German senttnsr
at existent there. UP to April furnisho
Of high percentASeA. with Kansas shown
6S per cent. and Iowa So