Omaha daily bee., 1919-02-06
CENSUS TAKING
BY DRAFT BOARDS
CROWDER'S PLAN
InkIing Of Drastic Extensions
Of Work or Fight Order
Planned Given in Provost
MarShal'S Report.

Washington, Feb. 5.-While the
second and probably the final an
nual report on the selective service
system, prepared BY Major Gen,
Enoch H. Crowder, provost marshal
general, and made public today con
tanned only one specific recommen-
dation-that the draft machinery be
used to take the decennial census
the 900 page document gave the
first inkling of drastic extensions of
the work or fight regulations which
had been planned just before hos
tiiities ended.
The report showed that specific
plans were before Secretary Baker
last November under which a mimi
MUM working week for the essen
tial industries would have been fixed
in order that industrial slackers"
might be reached, and that plans
were shaping for the mandatory de-
ferment of registrants in essential
industry. denying them absolutely
the right of military service. A
scheme for supervising labor dis
tribution through an industrial fur
l6ugh system also was being
evolved.
Results Almost Incredible.
AS to the accomplishments Of the
selective system, credit for which
was given to the patriotic devotion
of thousands upon thousands" of
American men and women who aid
ed, General Crowder said:
I'VE are too close upon the events
accurately to assess them. How
great part American selective ser
vice played in the drama of the
world war, history alone can tell
ITO enroll for service over 24,000,-
600; to mobilize a selected army Of.
more than 100000, 100000 of
them within the space Of 90 days; to
have presently available for mill
tary duty 100000 additional fight
ing men; to classify this vast group
of man power in the order of its
military and industrial Importance
so as to preserve the domestic and
industrial life of the nation, to speed
up wartime activities, to maintain
them in a status of maximum eff
ficient production and to pave the
way for a speedy return to normal
peace time pursuits, while recruit
ing the full fighting strength of the
nation-these are the results which
would be instantly rejectedas impos-
sible did not actual facts stand as
irrefutable testimonials Of their ac-
complishment."
Makes Census Suggestion.
Tn suggesting that the census
might hereafter be taken through
the selective service machinery,
General Crowder said the feasibili-
ty of many theories divergent from
the prewar conception Of things
has been demonstrated, although
the question of how far these prin-
ciples should be projected after the
war was "a matter Of vital national
importance" He said, however
that he believed the machinery for
the census was wholly practical and
added that since 100000 were
registered in single day and a.
100000 in four days, including
complete survey and classification
of their domestic and industrial
status, the census data should be
obtainable in days instead of
as is now the case.
On November III, 1918, the re-
port shows the United States had
in its military and naval service
4,791,l72 men. or 10 per cent of the
male population. On the same day
England had already called to the
eolprs 5,8543s9, or nearly 90 per
cent.
The final official total for ali reg
istrations was 24,234021. OF these
3,208,446 had been actually ex-
amined and practically 80 men out
of every 100 were found to Be
physically disqualified. Oklahoma
and Arkansas returned the highest
ratio of men under the physical re-
quirements, Rhode Island and Ari-
iona the lowest.