Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1918-01-11
SQUARE DEAL
IN DRAFT IN
ALL SECTIONS
DISTRICTS WITH LARGE PERCENT.
AGE OF ALIENS WILL BE CONSID-
ERED IN MATTER OF PRO RAT
ING NUMBER OF SELECTIvES.

war department has prepared bill amend
ing the draft law in such a way a. 10 cure
present evils and inequalities in those dis
trIctS where there j. heavy alien popu-
lation not ~uhiection to conScripion
the law ~ il stands. and under which the
first draft was made. il j. impossible -
give square deal Ia the citizenship of
localities where there are many alien, re-
siding
The injustice Of this feature of the law
was heavily felt in certain sections where
II required examination of practically NJ
Of the ritIzcn~ IN some districts to FIN the
quota. Some of these districts have far
more aliens within the draft age than they
have citizens. bnt the quota D. based On the
total registration of both aliens and ciii-
zcn~. although the aliens are exempt from
military service.
General Cruwdcr. the provost mar-hal
general. ha~ devised plan for rcctifyung
fhi~ injustice. which was 80 marked ~
many places I'm some districts it WAS nee
e~~arN tn examine all nf the registered
citizens to obtain the necessary number uf
men called for BY the quota. while thou
sands oi aien~ IN each district were cN-
cmpi.
General truwdcr'~ plan. which has been
incorporated IN the hill approved w See
retary of War Baker. will hereafter ap-
portion the quotas IN all districts on th,
basis Of the classification of rcGi~trant~
that i now IN progress. lna~much ~ Gen
cral trowder believes that the next draft
will hc taken entirely from Glass !. ne
number VT men placed IN that clu-- III rarh
Iislrirlz-ll -4--ss..s,44sss -
Population will No longer form the basis
of quotas
After the effect of the first draft was
observed in manv districts where the alien
population was large and where the ciii-
zen~hip was heavily drawn upon Ia order
to make up the difference. II was suggest
cd that the future apportiunment~ vi
quotas should be- based only ON citizen
population. General Crnwder points out
that this i not proper remedy lie say:
"A~ between the two states with let III
say l,000 population. one 100 per cent
allen. Il rule ~ citizenship apportioaing
of quotas would result IN withdrawal
from the MI American state Just twice a-
great a. the withdrawal from the fifty per
cent hyphenate. Since the economic wealth
Of state l. bound up in III man power.
and since Man-power j. not to he com
putcd according to citizenship. the gross
inequiy and the certainty ~ ensuing pro-
test against amy such rule are instantly
apparent. Further. there j. a. hc urged
against the population rule the circum-
stance that there J. NO reliable criterion of
population. since the last census J. seven
wears old and since the most potent in
flucnce~ have been at work on the diStri-
button of population since 1910. These
influences were most potent among men
Of the draftahlc age.
There j. only one Just basis for quotas
to be called from amy class. and that j. the
proportion Of men IN that class IN the va
riou~ localities. This plan i Too Just too
even. and una>>ailahc to require argu-
mcni."
The bill that has received the approval
of Secretary Baker puts into legislative
form tho recommendation of the provost
marshal general. together with IN addi-
liional recommendation that all men who
have reached the age of twentv-one since
June ). last shall be required 10 register
and he classified.
The hill viii be introduced III an early
date. and it, passage will he urged before
the next draft j. due to be made In fact
the war department. next draft will wair
upon the new legislation. although il i
not expected that there will be- any serious
delay.
Senator Calder Of New York who has
been urging Il change from the system of
last year. had talk with Secretary Ba-
kcr concerning the Crowder plan. lie sail
aftcrward:
'''rhe plan drawn MP by General Crowder
covers the situation exactly and removes
the injustice that was done in many dis
| trictS under the old draft 1t gives the
citizenship of each district Il square deal.
no matter how large the proportion OF alien
presidents. ! am heartily in favor of the
passage of such legislation