Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-03-15
MAKE THE DRAFT SAFE FOR
DEMOCRACY, TOO

A PENNSYLVANIA between twenty
4 one and thirty-one years of age is 40
per cent more liable to be called in the
next draft than an Alabaman or a
Floridan.
Pennsylvania and New Jersey supplied
one-third more than proper quota of
selected men, on genuine democratic
basis of selection, in the July drawing.
These are more than inequalities; they
are injustices. The seective system.
devised in the first feverish rush OF
America to war and hastened into legis-
latioh through stern and pressing neces-
sity of getting armies into the field, was
no evolution toward perfected mecha-
nism, but merely high-geared, powerful
machine, which had the merit of working
quickly, il not smoothly and uniformly.
Many defects were merely those of opera
tion, and these have been corrected with
out recourse TO legislation through exer-
else of the authority in details delegated
to the Provost Marshal Generals office.
But the fundamental defect of the
draft, that which imposes it unequally on
the various Commonwealths. through
proportioning on an estimated popula-
tion basis. is written into the law.
The Secretary Of War and the Provost
Marshal General admit it is inequitable
and unjust, yet they cannot do otherwise
than pcrpetuate the inequalities Of the
first draft in the second without change
in the enabling law. Only Congress,
which created the draft, can free it from
the unfair and undue burdens which it
has imposed on States with large alien
population. Only Congress can make the
second draft representatively democratic
by prescribing selection according TO
representation.
A bill is before Congress to change the
basis of compstation so that the States
will contribute share and share alike
from eligibles within their boundaries
and not in ratio to their populations.
The President and the War Department
favor this bill. Every fair-mindcd
American should favor it. 1t has passed
the Senate and has been reported TO the
House over strong minority report Of
six southern members Of the Military
Committee.
Pennsylvania Congressman should be
prompt and energetic in joining their COL
leagues from other States in which the
foreign population is large to combat and
triumph over.the bitter opposition which
has developed in delegations from the
States which have negligible alien popu-
lations.
We would not for an instant draw Sec
tional lines in such vital policy, which
should be unselfishly and thoroughly
American. The sectional lines have been
drawn by the southern Congressman,
who already are lobbying to keep the
present disproportionate ratio in the law.
Alabama, North Carolina, Georgia,
Florida. Mississippi, South Carolina and
Tennessee have less than / per cent of
aliens in their areas. The proportion in
some of the mid and far western States
is under 10 per cent Pennsylvania runs
nearly 25 per cent. The coal regions are
preponderatingly foreign. Foreigners
are numerous in many Philadelphia
wards. New Jersey has nearly the same
alien proportion. The proportion is
higher in some of the New England
States and in New York. Here is oppor-
tunity for an effective congressional bloc,
if the South persists in its un-American
policy. And the bloc must organize
quickly and act on the trigger.
Americans, the flower of America S
youth, man the National Army recruited
by the draft. They should be drafted OH
the basis of Americans eligible, not on
roughly estimated mass populations.
Thus only can fair draft be conducted.
Thus only can States thickly populated
with foreigners retain rightful proper
ton of Americans. Thus only can they
be freed from the grave menace of
having Class 2-married men with
dcpendents-drawn before the States
with light alien populations contribute
their full share in Class unmarried
men and married men without depend
ents-to the service.
The United States is fighting to make
the world safe for democracy. Mothers
in it's homes, business men in its indus
tries, trade and on it's farms demand
that Congress make the draft fair for
democracy.