Norwich bulletin., 1917-07-17
PROTEST IS FORWARDED
 TO SECRETARY OF WAR
State Council Points Out unfeirness of Population Estiratss as Draft Basis.

The Connecticut state COuncll oA Defense, in a letter signed by Chair man Richard M. Bissell. has protested to Secretary of War Newton D. Bak- CT against the federal governments latest Estimates of Population" to be used as a basis for the draft appor- tionment under which Connecticut is given an estimated population or r. 719,000 The subject Is being investi- gated thoroughly by the counciFs com mittee on man power and lapor. The letter of protest sent in accord ance with a vote of the council on We'd nesday. follows:
 Hartford. Conn.,. Hon. Newton D. Baker,
 Secretary of War.
 Washingtn, D. C.
 Dear Sir: The State Council of De- fense of the state of Connecticut, gave consideration at it's meeting held in f1th instant. to form IS, being "Esti- mate of Population" made by the Bu- reau of Census for the purpose men tioned in Section ?, act of congress, ap- proved May 18th, 1917" to authorize the president to increase temporarily the military establishment of the Unit ed States and after careful examin- ation of the figures set forth in said Estimate" as applying to the state of Connecticut the State Council of Defense desires to register it's very re- l spectful protest against the use of the | figures purporting to the estimates of the population of the state of Con necticut and shows on Page of said ] publication.
 This action has been taken for the following reasons:
 First, there can be no doubt that the estimates mentioned are greatly in ex- cess of the population of the principal cities In this state and of the state as a whole
 Second, referring to the statement in the preface to said estimates that one | -z,
 method used was by It's use there was | obtained the fairest possible basis for the apportionment of the draft since the localities whose population estf- which there is an excess of men 21 to 30 years of age. inclusive"-your att tention is respectfully called to the fact that the excess of men from 21 to 30 years of age in this state is al- most without exception employed in arms and munitions factories and in addition an unusually large percenta gs of what may be called the normal" number of men from 21 to 80 years of age who were resident in this state prior to the beginning of the European war are also engaged in such activi- ties.
 1t is known beyond question that the munitions factories and other estab- lishments producing raw materials have attracted to this state many thousands of operatives. On the oth- CT hand, exemption will be claimed for pra ctlcally all such operatives and in most cases will doubtless be prop erly granted, since they are engaged in work which Is vitally necessary for the conduct O. the war. It follows. therefore. that this very large and more or less temporary addition to our population while itself in large mea as- ure exempt from draft will under the proposed method compel Connecticut to contribute from it's remaining sup ply of men between 21 and 30 years of age very much larger quota for the forthcoming draft than would have been the case if Connecticut were not a state whose factories are largely given over to the production of war material. We are informed that Connecticut will be called upon to pro- ducc for the use of our armed forces a very large percentage of q til mehu- a very large percentage of all the nu- nitions of war manufactured in this country and we submit that it is in- equitable and unfair that by reason of such production and the additional la hor population which has been drawn into the state on account of 1t the nor mai population of Connecticut not en- gagged in such industries should be called upon to furnish a far greater number of men for the draft than would otherwise be the case or than Is required approximately from sim liar portions of the populations of other states.
 Yours yer ytruly,
 Connecticut State Council of
 Defense, Richard NJ. Bissell,
 Chairman.