New Britain herald., 1917-08-04
DEFENSE COUNCIL
 PROTESTS ON DRAFT
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 census in card form. The date of this census is so recent as to make it per- fectly reliable for our present use. The card records disclose the ages, nationalities, occupations and nu- merous other characteristics of the individuals recorded thereon, and tabulations made therefrom form, in large measure, the basis of the state- ments and arguments hereinafter made.
 Population Grossly Exaggerated
 We beg to call your attention to the fact that the method of appor- tionment used for the first draft has operated in several ways to impose unfair burdens upon this state.
 First: It grossly exaggerated the population of the state, thereby in- creasing the quota required without adding in any way to the supply of men from whom the quota must be drawn.
 "The census of 1910 gives Connecti- cut a population of 1,114,000 In fur nishing his recent estimate to- the war department the director of census ar bitrarily~ estimated the population now to be 1.719,623. Admitting that our population has considerably in creased since 1910, due chiefly to the demands of war industries for labor, nevertheless the most reliable data indicates a present population of not exceeding 1,350,0O0. These data are available but for the sake of brevity are not herein set forth. The total registration in Connecticut, made in accordance with the provisions of the Registration Act, was 159,S9O, but of that number 34,276 are married and have dependents as we'll.
 Second: The inclusion of aliens in the registration works injustice to Connecticut.
 "Of the 159,S90 registrants about 58,000 are friendly Or neutral aliens who have not taken out their first papers and who are, therefore, not liable to draft. It will be seen that these aliens in our state increased the total of our registration by more than 50 per cent of what it would have been had they not resided here. And furthermore, by the arbitrary call culation made by the war department these 58,000 aliens are mede the basis for an increment of population am- bunting to over 5OO,O0O in number. al- though it is well known that a very large proportion of these aliens are unmarried laborers and mechanics who represent themselves alone and do not increase the states population save by their presence here. The in justice involved is made even more glaring when it is remembered that these 5S,000 aliens are all exempt from military service and not con- tribute one man to Conecticut's draft quota.
 ."rhere is another and a very un- fortunate condition in connection with the presence of these exempt aliens in the state which seems to have been entirely overlooked by the war department. namely: that they will, during the war, continue in their present employment, enjoying the highest wage scale ever known in the historx of the state while their com have taken out their first papers will be compelled to enter the military service of the country. This condi- ton of course will tend to stop com pletely the naturalization of all such
 
 would seem to be the draft ing of all exempt aliens whose na- tive countries will consent to the process and the deportation of ex- empt aliens whose countries will not so consent.
 State Role in Munition Making.
 Third: Conecticut's war industries add to it's military burden.
 When the great war began in 1914 Connecticut already had, as compared with other states, an abnormal num- Der of it's male population employed in industries which have since become engaged in the manufacture of muni- tions and of other war material, and the very considerable additions made to our male population since that date have for the most part found employ ment in such industries. The records of our recent census show that of the approximately 101, ,000 registra<ts li- able for draft. e. citizens or al- iens who have taken out their first papers-over 26, 0O0-i. e. more than 25 per cent,-are engaged in such work. These registrants to a. very large extent will be properly exempt from draft and, therefore, taking into account those who will be exempt by reason of occupation and because they are married and have dependents. it is altogether probable that less than 50 per cent of the total number of 1899 registrants are actually liable for military service.
 Here again it will be noticed that the presence in this state of the great factories which are expected to fur nish over 50 per cent of the nations suply of arms and munitions aug ments the number of our registrants but decreases the available supply of men for military service. Yet under the operation of the system adopted by the war department the demand made upon Connecticut for soldiers is very sensiblv increased because of the