Middletown transcript., 1917-03-31
WAR CENSUS
IS ORDERED
Governor 0. KS BIanks-AlI
Males 18 to As Affected.
Every Fit Citizen Subject To Draft
Lists. To Be Prepared lmme'
diateIy For Use II
Need Comes.

Maryland's military census will ue'
gin this week.
After a conference of several hours
Friday, at the Merchants Club, with
his committee on preparedness and
survey, Governor Harrington decided
to take the census and approved the
forms submitted by Attorney General
Ritchie for gathering the statistics.
All Subject To Draft.
The census means that the name
and the vital facts concerning every
able-bodied man in the State, white
and black, will be on file with the
State authorities. 1t also means that,
should the need arise, every able
bodied man may be drafted into the
military service of the country.
Should war come, it is the opinion
of many that there would be sufficient
volunteers to make draft unneces-
sary. If the volunteers should not
suffice, however, the Government, un-
der Federal laws, has full power to
draft. And it is to provide for this
emergency, as well as to secure
registration of male citizens and their
publications for special kinds of work
in case of war, that the Governor OF
Maryland and Governors of other
States have ordered the census taken
under authority conferred by State
| laws.
1t means that, should war come,
without any further legislation what
ever, a system of compulsory uni
versal military service could be put
into effect in this country at once If
it were deemed necessary. Up to this
time few persons have realized this
fact.
Everyone Must Answer.
The taking of the census means that
every male person in Maryland be-
tween the ages of 18 and As years will
be required to answer questions which
will enable the State and Federal au-
thorities to determine his fitness to
bear arms for the State or country 1t
means that these statistics will be on
file if they should be needed and thus
expedite the work of national defense
to tremendous extent in this State.
It does not mean that the State or
the Federal Government is preparing
to draft anyone into bearing arms.
There is no cause for alarm in this
census. Even the authority by which
it is taken is not new. While especial
act was but recapitulation of similar
acts of 1908, 1896, 1886 and others
antedating even these.
Governor Exercises Right.
Boiled down to it's essentials, the
taking of the military census means
that the Governor is utilizing right
which has been given him by the laws
of Maryland for many years, but
which has not been exercised hereto
fore. 1t has not, for this reason, been
generally known that the term
militia" by the laws of the State,
meant every citizen in the State be-
tween the ages of 1S and As years
capable of bearing arms. The law
divides the militia into two sections,
the "active" and the "unorganized'
militia. The first of these is the
Maryland National Guard and the sec.
ond is every other male person in the
State, with certain exemptions. 1t is.
the statistics of this second half, of
the "unorganized militia" which the
census intends to enumerate.
If the occasion ever should arise by
which the State or the Federal au.
thorities need to draft men to defend
the United States flag, these statistics
will be of inestimable value and will
save weeks of work.
Chance First To Volunteer.
When Congress passed the Hay bill.
the Maryland Legislature re-enacted
it's own law in such terms as to fit
into the provisions of the Hay bill,
and the Governor is now authorizing
the gathering of such data as will
make this law possible of application
without a vast chaos of hurried ques-
tioning and surveying of the able
bodied men of Maryland. 1t is express.
ly provided by the State law that no
draft can be made until the Governor
has called for volunteers, and not
until after that call has failed to pro.
vide the number of men needed. That
provision was lacking in the Act of
rry1ri h. ha
power of the draft whenever it ap-
peared necessary to him.