New-York tribune., 1918-01-07
Conscription Law Amendments

General Crowder's recommendations to
Congress fall short in the matter Of curing
the inequalities of the original conscrip-
tlon scheme. He does not urge q revision
of the state quotas, which Congress ordered
made on the basis Of population, but which
were really made on the basis of a regis
tration which in many instances bore no
just relation to population. In a number
Of the Southern states the registration in
dicated marked and manifestly fictitious
decrease in population On the other
hand, this city was credited with popula-
ton more than a million in excess Of its
real population, judging from the figures
of the state census of 1915.
The draft quotas discriminate grossly
against many states-most of them in the
North and West-and in favor of many
other states-nearly all Of them in the
South. 1t is the duty of Congress to
eliminate these inequalities by readiusting
the contributions of the states under the
first draft so as to make them correspond
more nearly with actual population, CIV
ing credit for cXcesses and squar1ng
it was sharing the burden Of conscription
equally with sister states.
Moreover, the provost marshal general
does not recommend q clear policy with
regard to registered aliens. 1t was well
enough at the beginning to require all
aliens-including enemy aliens-to regis
ter. But it was confusing and inequitable
not to lay down rule specifically exclud
ing enemy aliens from the military popu-
lation subject to draft and to lay down
another rule with regard to the treat
ment of neutral aliens and the citizens
and subjects of the nations which are our
allies. Enemy aliens and neutral aliens
have been allowed to claim exemption in
divdually. Our policy IS to the conscrip-
ton of neutral aliens ought to be de-
termned by treaty. For military reasons
We excluded German subjects from ser
vice. These two classes, at least, should
have been segregated and deducted from,
the total of the military cligbles in each
state. BY counting them into the regis.
tered military population, on which quotas
were based, and then granting them eX
cmpton, another injustice was done t(
states with many unnaturalizcd alien resi-
dents. Diplomatic agreements with GU,
allies as to the disposition to be made oil
their subjects or citizens of draft age now
: living in this country are still pending
If we contract to return them in exchange
, for Americans of draft age within thu
jurisdiction of Allied governments, ther
this class of aliens ought also to be ex
cluded from the population on which stat,
draft quotas are based.
$ General Crowder ignores these prob
2 lens, although Congress will evidentl,
have to deal with them He makes bu
one recommendation which aims at ;
fairer distribution of the draft burden
That is that the quotas of states be de
e termined hereafter on the basis of tn
number of men in Glass l. That in
PRODUCES many determinations between
groups of citizens in each state, in orde
to avoid which Congress directed tha
population should be the sole basis O
: apportonment. The Crowder plan will
J undoubtedly neutralze some of the in
equalities OF the population plan, as it ha
been unfairly and bunglingly applied, i
> case enemy aliens, neutral aliens and sub
e jects and citizens of the Allied govern
e ments are excluded from Class l. Bu