St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1918-07-27
All Plans Perfected and Council Of
Defense Expect Registration
to be Successful
VAST POSSIBILITIES MAY
DEPEND ON FINAL RESULT
There is No camouflase in This Move
and 1t 10 strickIy 4 War Meas
ure and win Result in
Much Good TO All

=
Landry, through the recognized heads
Of families, both white and colored,
begins promptly this morning and
every male tWenty-one years of age
or over, and every female who is the
sole head of family is expected to
come forward and enroll. The regis
tration lasts for some days and 1t is
the desire Of the parish council of de-
tense, which has worked increasingly
to make the move successful one,
that its requests to the people be com
piled with.
Some have hazy ideas concerning
this census and their minds have no
doubt been somewhat confused as to
the motives behind the call for every
one to line up and show their colors
It is a wartime measure, to be sure.
and while no immediate results may
follow, it is considered wise to count
noses in order that If IN the future
any real measure for this information
is required or needed It viii be at
hand Without anS undue lpss of tine
in obtaining 1t
IN order that the entire machinery
behind this census be In perfect work
ing order, the council of defense, with
Mr. e. M Boagni, as chairman, has
worked increasingly and has had
printed and sent out to every section
vast amount Of explanatory litera-
ture so that the least informed might
thoroughly understand the necessity
of complying with the councils re-
quest. Thousands of cards for regis
tration, circulars of explanation, etc,
have been formulated and printed and
now that every detail has been COM
pleted nothing remains but to take the
actual census itself The men be-
hind the move have accomplished
their full share of this immense bur-
den of detail and the balance is up
to the people themselves.
There are vast possibilities behind
the census. For instance, if the food
administration, realizing that such an
order is necessary, should order a
rationing of the entire population OF
the nation, this rationing will no
doubt be based upon this registration
to be taken today and for the next
few days. The man, or woman. who,
through ignorance or suspicion, fails
to come forward and register, may
later on deplore their short-sighted-
ness. Seriously, there is no camou-
fIage in this census and none what
ever is Intended or attempted. People
| whose minds are hazy on the subject
should remember that the government
has the power when necessity arises
to force its citizens to comply with
! its desires. But in this case there is
no demand or threat and there are no
mysterious or ha1f-yeiled intentions
behind the registration. People arc
/ requested to line up and show what
they have done and the mass statis-
tics gathered will unquestionably aid
i
the authorities in lining out a plan
for future procedure during the con-
tinuation OF the war.
This is not a registration for mill
tary service, as a few who are unirl-
I formed sincerely believe. The age
limit fixed by the selective service law
stands today just as originally passed
and there can be no change without
an amendment being adopted BY the
congress. II this was military move
females who are the heads Of famiiies
would not be required to register.
The entire work is as plain as day
flight and there can be and win be no
excuse whatever for any one who falls
to comply.
i The council Of defense has handed
| The Clarion the following:
eon next Saturday, the 27th viii be