davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1940-02-06

just about the same manner. A few
new questions are added each time
because Of public demand, and quite
often more efdcient methods IRE
introduced; but essentially It is Just
about the same thing your parents
and your grandparents experienced. l.
The value Of the facts developed
may be Judged by the willingness Of
everybody to concede they are the
ultimate In accuracy and complete
ness. The reason is that no private
enterprise has either the resources
or the authority to conduct such .
big undertaking.
And the basic soundness of the
census is best illustrated, In my
opinion, by the fact that we have no
record Of ever having been forced
to put a citizen in jail for refusal
to answer. OF course we use all
possible persuasive means first, and
on few occasions 1t has been q
hard job, but thus far explanation
has been enough.
OF course we will prosecute any Of
our own employees caught violating
his oath, for the validity of this
whole undertaking depends upon the
cooperation and good faith of the
millions who participate in it.
Questions to Be Publicized.
I have talked to you principally
about the historical development
and significance of the census and
about the mechanical task it entails,
rather than discussing the questions
to be asked this year. Those ques-
tions will be presented from many
angles during the next two months
In many media of public expression
in the newspapers and magazines,
on the radio and in other public
Evening star., 1940-02-06

the enumerations in Americas out
lying Territories, which also are be-
ing taken In 1910. These areas in
clude Alaska, where the work Is al
ready well under way, and Puerto
Rico, Hawaii, the Virgin Islands,
Guam, Samoa and the Panama
Canal Zone. Conditions are 80 Diff
ferent in these outlying possessions
that that is an entire story In itself.
But the work is being done Just as
thoroughly as possible, even though
we sometimes have to use dog teams,
and sometimes get the help Of the
Navy. Not only the population, but
also the homes, the farms, the busi-
nesses and manufactures, and the
mining and quarrying operations
will be analyzed by the more than
1000 enumerators for these areas.
In the Philippines a complete
census was taken during January,
1889, but it did not come under the
Census Bureau. It was conducted
by the Philippine government.
However, on their request, we did
loan them one of our best men to
supervise the job.
Now every time there Is q census
there are few people who complain
furiously that the Government is
poking its nose into their personal
affairs, and one or two already have
said 1t about our current work.
want to show you how absurd that is.
In the first place, the questions
we will ask you are not our ques-
tions, but your questions. They have
been pressed upon us by scores and
scores Of large and important organ
izations and groups of citizens, de-
claring the facts they will develop
are vital to the general welfare. We
don't originate questions-we don't
have to. During the past two years
literally thousands Of questions have
been urged upon us. And we have
sorted them down, rejecting and re-
jecting, until we have the minimum
of basic questions, accord
ing to the most expert counsel we
can obtain.
I have been asked II 1t Is COM
pulsory to answer the questions
which the census taker will ask you.
The answer is yes. And it is nothing
new. The answers have been COM
pulsory for over 100 years-but the
only questions you must answer are
the questions printed on the census
schedule. If you suspect that a
census taker is asking you questions
not on the of1icial list, you may re-
quire him to show you the official
list of questions. And the same
law which requires you to answer
requires the census taker to keep
your answers confidential. More
over, it provides much heavier pun
Ishment for him. Should he violate
his oath, he is subject to a $1,000
fine or two years in prison, or both.
Kept from Other Agencies.
You also have a right to know that
your reports to us remain confiden-
tial for all time. No Government
bureau or agency can look into our
1les to find out about you. No per-
son or bureau can get our files for
any representation. or criminal
or anything else. That
Is the law, and 1t has been tested in
the courts, and upheld.
I hope you will remember that
The census is nothing new and
but one of the oldest OF
Federal activities. It comes along
decade after decade, carried out in
Evening star., 1940-02-06

questionnaires which are used In
taking the census Of manufactures
and census Of business, and the
census Of mines and quarries. Every
one OF the 10000 factories, over
100000 business establishment,
and $4,000 mining and quarryine
operations are being covered by
these enumerators. They will be
!aoor1ng at this task until May or
June.
Ihe censuses which will begin on
April !. although much greater
task, Will be done in a much shorter
tlme. These include the census of
population, the census of housing,
the census of agriculture and the
census OF irrigation and drainage
These enumerations must be COM
pleted within 80 days, and because
OF this a much larger number of
census takers is needed than for
the operations which began in jan
uary. Along about the middle of
March, the supervisors of those 529
districts which I mentioned before
will begin examining and hiring
more than 10000 men and women,
who will do the huge job of con-
Quoting the April censuses.
One hundred and twenty thousand
people! That is nearly half as
many as there are in our regular
peacetime army! I think you can
imagine the technical difficulties
which the employment and training
OF such number of people involve.
That they will be trained, and we'll
trained, we know. Our plans have
been developing for well over a
year. You might be interested in
a brief sketch of how this Job is
done.
The Census Bureau. itself is q
permanent division of the Depart
ment Of Commerce. Our regular
year-to-year staff. including admin.
istrators, division heads, special
scientists. machine operators and
the force, does not run more thar
$50 as q usual thing. This perma-
nent staf1 is kept constantly busy
with the various permanent activi.
ties Of the bureau, such as thu
compilation of vital statistics anc
the issuance Of monthly, quarterly
and annual industry reports. But II
is also the function Of certain mem.
Evening star., 1940-02-06

one of them then. We were all very
earnest, and as scientific as we knew
how to be, but judged by today's
standards the 1900 enumeration wa
an impromptu and q hastily Or
ganized affair.
The permanent Bureau Of the
Census was established, by Congress
while we were in the midst Of COM
j piling the tables from the 1906
enumeration; and it made every one
connected with the work feel that at
last the census had come of age
Even so, as I look back at our work
for that period and compare it with
what we are doing this year, I re-
alize not only how the Census Bu-
reau has grown, how it has matured
how it has found its feet, so to speak
but also how America has grown
The America we analyzed in that
year was a simple and uncom-
plicated Nation compared to what
it is now. The census was less than
half the job it is today. There
we're about 100000 fewer people
in the country than there are now,
and farming was the principal oc-
cupation. Sixty per cent of the peo-
pie lived on farms, whereas today
nearly so per cent live in towns.
The railroads were our main indus
trial achievement. The automobile
was just a visionary novelty, and
there we're virtually no good roads,
as we know them now. Airplanes
and radios were merely something
for the crystal gazers. Thousands of
other machines of today had not yet
been invented. and the effects they
would have on our whole pattern
of living were, of course, undream-
ed of.
Significant Movements Gauged.
Thus the Census Bureaus activi-
ties and scope have grown in direct
response to the growth OF America.
Through the COMPLEX tabulating
machinery of the census they pass
employment, Employment, citizens
and aliens, the growth OF the cities.
depression on the farms, variety and
change In occupations, decline in
the birth rate, the movements Of
people from farms to the big cities,
the shifts in industrial centers from
one section to another in search Of
raw materials, the increasing aver
age of our population-and many
other significant longtime move
ments within our civilization.
Taking the censuses which reveal
these important facts is in itself a
tremendous undertaking. For one
thing, there is not just one census
this year. The bureau is taking
seven separate. kinds of enumera-
ton in 1910. The one which has
most general interest is, of course,
the census of population, but there
are six other major subjects. Some
of them already have begun. On
January 2 approximately $500
trained men and women started
out from the 529 different districts
into which the United States is
divided for census purposes. They
carried with them the many varied
Evening star., 1940-02-06

UeIS OI QUIZ otAQ 10 plan 1OT Cne
major census operations. It is the
work Of these men and women te
make sure that the big censuses rur
smoothly.
Many Collaborators.
As the time approaches for q
major census some OF our experts
begin planning the QUESTIONABLE,
which will be used. They are as
sisted at every point by specially
appointed committees from busines,
and industry, from other groups o,
organizations Of citizens and from
wel-known experts both in other
governmental departments and In
private enterprises. This work has
been completed for our 1910 under
takings, and all the census forms
with one or two minor exceptions
either are published or in the hands
Of the printer.
Meanwhile, another group of ex-
perts has been mapping the country
scientifically for census purposes.
We call these men the geographers.
They gather all the latest local maps
Of cities, counties and States, and
they break up the country into more
than 100000 small individual maps
known as enumerators' districts.
These little maps are complete in
every detail, and each Of them is,
generally, the "beat" of one census
taker. In sparesely settled areas
two maps are given to one worker,
but In any event this Nation wide
pattern of territories shows the
workers where they must work and
eliminates duplication Of effort.
Into the picture, at this point,
step the men who have the fastest
job to do. We call them the field
division. They must recruit, organize
and train the people who come to
your door and ask you the questions.
First they bring nearly 200 picked
"key men" to Washington for six
weeks of intensive schooling. Those
who pass this grind successfully be-
come AREA managers" stationed at
more than 100 control points across
the country. Each "area manager"
must train from five to eight district
supervisors. Then the district men
set up 529 district offices, in which
they examine and select the workers.
This work involves the preparing
Of detailed instruction books on each
subject from housing to agriculture.
1t includes the locating of suitable
offices in more than 800 locations
convenient for the work. It includes
the time schedule of each step, the
preparing and distributing of sup
plies and a thousand small details.
And 1t must be done, from start to
finish, in about six months, so that
there will be no distraction during
the "work-month" of April, when
every minute counts. Just before
the big drive starts in April all the
key officials will gather at eight
convenient centers across the coun-
try for a final intensive review of
their campaign with experts from
Washington. Then they will hurry
home for final checking up Of
their stats.
That is what I mean by saying
that the 1910 census is a closer-knit
and oetter-defined operation than
ever before.
Territories Another Problem.
What have just described is the
census operation only for continental
United States. It does not include
Evening star., 1940-02-06

sponsible for the inventory Of your
Nations wealth. The findings Of
this great census will be merely
what you tell this man, added to
what 1872 10000 other people tell
10000 other census takers. Tho
more accurate the facts you give
him, the more complete and useful
will be the results Of the 1910 cen
sus and the more beneficial to you
and to America will be the uses to
which the material is put.
Evening star., 1940-12-10
Controversy Is Settled
Choice Of Price for'Mojor Generally Mark:
Change in Marine Corps Selection Methods

posed in majority of brigadier gen.
erals selected over him a year earlier.
And, If he had faced a purely Ma
rine Corps board this year, 1t would
have been composed almost entirely
OF his previous competitors.
1t was the opinion of the senate
rial investigators that prejudice"
under these circumstances was inev-
liable. More than that, a second
passing over Of Coils. Price and
Smith meant that they would be
forced to retire entirely from the
service. The Senators were unable
to see why officers physically fit
and with entirely meritorious rec
ords should be shifted to a retired
status, with three quarters pay for
H1e. when they were still capable
and eager to continue on active duty.
Just how the Senators made their
feelings known is not disclosed. but
the upshot of their effort is plain.
The nine-man board, predominant
ly composed of rear admirals. not
only placed Col Price and Col.
Smith at the head of their selec-
lions for brigadier generals, but the
former was forthwith boosted by the
senior selection hoard, composed
exclusively Of rear admirals, to a
major general
Received High COmmendation.
Gen. Price received high COM
mendation from everybody with
whom he was associated in his
Shanghai service. including the
commander in chief, Rear Admiral
Harry E. Yarnell; his brigade COM
mander, Brig. Gen. John C. Beau-
mont, and representatives of the
State Department, but his claim to
promotion by no means rested on
this circumstance alone. Through
out his entire service he has been
picked for ticklish Jobs. Particu-
larly he was accorded the Dis
tinguished Service Medal for his
part in conducting three successive
national elections in Nicaragua.
The respective heads of the Amer
ican mission for the latter purpose
were Maj. Gen. Frank McCov of
the Army and Rear Admirals Clark
H. Woodward and Alfred w. john
son. Gen. Price served as executive
officer under each of these and was
commended equally by all of them.
In addition to the coveted Dis
tinguished Service Medal, he re-
ceived the Nicaraguan Presidential
Medal of Merit. He also holds the
World War Victory Medal, the Ma
rine Corps Expeditionary Medal.
the Mexican Campaign Medal, the
Cuban Pacification Medal and
the Second Nicaraguan Campaign
Medal.
1t is doubtful whether any other
officer of the Marine Corps has
been equally honored. Further,
Gen. Price is a graduate Of all the
Marine Corps schools and of the
Army command and general staff
schools He served as instructor of
tactics at the Marine Corps School
and as director of the School for
Field Officers. There Is scarcely a
command in the corps, for which his
rank made him eligible. that he has
not filled with distinction.
Released by the North American
Newspaper Alliance. Ine)
Evening star., 1940-12-10
Greeks Need u. S. Assistance

sleep aurels they have during
that Italians back-this
and in all probability accompanied by the
formidable Musson determined the
insult provided things don't happen the meantime.
breathing spell which they will
defend on
Without the help of this country they doomed
wide the of his
republics the Southern Hemisphere This
is natural and logical
of materials and the
financial relief
disgruntd
population
which will be
American countries
look the financial aspect OF the problem
the financial inconsequenta at the present time
ncomprehensbe the that this Gov
100000 officially
18th hour attempt keep
Spain the clutches of Germany and out of
that internal situation Spain desperate; the
the wheels of Spsins industrial machinery moving
GeneralsSmo
he efficient his disposal to
a revolution of the dicOntented elements.
There German troops Spain and there are many more
the border does desire
sufcIen
months.
The
believe
would nch neutrality and thus
the British at Gibraltar.
Evening star., 1940-12-10

nominal head t Spanish government wants 70
hour of need he remain son private capacity There
politicians
have played that than during the
months
point desirable
military of view it
fatal mistake
There somewhat similar situation regarding France That
while food with
toward the coming winter There doubt that Ambassador William
something relieve
Martinique here there is the problem
oodstufs eventually would find their into the Reich
Evening star., 1940-12-10
Coast Guard Reserve
Unit'PIuns Dance

Flotilla II Of the United States
Coast Guard Reserve will sponsor
an oyster roast and dance at iotilla
headquarters, 900 Maine avenue
S.W, at 8 pm. Saturday.
Only boat owners are eligible for
membership in the Coast Guard Re-
serve. which is functioning as a
voluntary organization pending pas
sage of bill now before Congress
proposing change of its status into
a military basis. Members of Flo
tilla II have been attending classes
in elementary navigation, first aid,
signaling and other subjects which
will be Of value If a national emer-
gency occurs.
Evening star., 1940-12-10

For several years members of
Congress had been hearing COM
plants respecting the selections of
high h-ranking Marine officers but,
as always has happened in like cir
cumstances, 1t required an out
standing personality to focus the
issue. This element was supplied
when Col Price was passed over
by the 1899 brigadier general Sc
lection board while the universal
praise Of his service as comman-
dant of the American unit at
Shanghai, during the Chinese
japanese fighting there, was still
ringing.
Senate Ordered Inquiry.
Last spring a subcommittee of the
Senate Committee on Naval Affairs,
under the craftsmanship of Senator
Guy M. Gillette, Democrat, of Iowa,
conducted an investigation. This
proceeding was secret and produced
no formal report to the Senate, but
its effectiveness became apparent
when the 1910 board for selection of
brigadier generals was announced.
Whereas this board previously had
been composed of six Marine gen.
six Navy admirals and three Marine
generals.
The result was that Col. Price not
only was placed at the head of the
1910 list of brigadier generals-desig-
nate, but Col. Julian c. Smith, an
other man passed over in 1889, was
selected.
Then came the meeting, on No
vember Is, of board of nine adml-
rails for selection of major generals
for the Marine Corps. Prices ap-
pointment as brigadier general was
confirmed by the Senate on that
very day and he was not sworn in
until November l8, but when the
four selectees for major generals
were announced on December l his
name was among them. 1t is doubt
full whether any other Marine Corps
officer ever has been hoisted to top
rank so rapidly.
"Stepchild" of System.
The point of the matter is that
the Marine Corps in earlier years
had figured as a sort of "stepchild"
Of the merit system for selection of
high-ranking officers, primarily de-
signed for the Navy. Naval boards
for selection of rear admirals and
captains always have consisted OF
nine admirals and nobody has the
slightest idea who their members
will be until they are announced by
the Secretary of the Navy
Because the Marine Corps did not
have enough eligible officers to COM
pose board of nine. its board was
limited to six. In fact there are
only II Marine Corps generals all
told and. because of provision Of
law forbidding any one to sit on
two successive annual boards. there
were exactly six officers available
for selection board duty each year.
The questionable working of this
system is illustrated in the case Of
Gen. Price. He was several num-
berS down the list of colonies in 1888,
but there was a widespread belief
in the Marine Corps that his out
standing record in China would
cause his selection for brigadier gen.
eral that year.
There was an inevitable tendency
to compare his record with the men
who were chosen.
Second From Top.
In 1899 Gen. Prices name, then
second from the top of the list of
colonels, went before a board COM
Evening star., 1940-12-10
The Political Mill
McKeIIor Resolution May Find Support
From Members Of Congress Irked by Polls
BY GOULD LINCOLN.

The Senate Privileges and Elections before It eo-
luton introduced Democrat calling
the appointment committee polls
public opinion resolution the special
committee first OF polls and straw ballots which indicate
will
members of the Senate and of the House
with polls of public opinion matters national
last would include the attitude of involvement the
United States
before
The elections of 1910 thing the question entry
OF the United
whole toward very live question Senator Nc
Klar of
that polls dealing with the foreign policy
in some quarters, propaganda for against
of
there be written provision referendum
vote OF the people before this country
much stock in the polls OF public opinion the question of American
involvement
action by his opinion poll public
opinion should
private
Evening star., 1940-12-10

oAAoA wv Ma
happened in the
last election.
For while the
r e p u b ii C ans
spent more than
did the Demo-
Gratis out Of
funds collected
directly from
the citize n S
/ h r ou G h ma
tional and State
committees, the
Roosevelt ad-
m i n / s t r a ton
benefited as a
consequence of
Evening star., 1940-12-10
Wins Divorce in Reno

Mrs. Vivian D. McNitt, wife of
DR.. H. j. Russell McNitt of the
Dupont Circle Apartments, was
granted a divorce in Reno, New,
yesterday on grounds of cruelty, &C
cording to word received here. The
agreement included support for Mrs,
McNitt. They were marrier August
Is. 1921
Evening star., 1940-12-10
U. S. Military Attoche
In London to Return

Brig. Gen. Raymond E. Lee, Mill
tary Attache to the American EN-
bassy in London, is coming to WASH
ington soon for temporary duty, the
War Department announced yester-
day.
officials made no further COM
ment regarding Gen. Lees prospec-
tive return here. Upon completion
of this temporary duty in Washing
ton, it was announced. he will re-
turn to his station in London.
Evening star., 1940-12-10

mans VIII certainly not ODJtcC 10
the improvement of the domestic
situation in Spain. They are not
particularly anxious to intervene in
a civil war. But they are equally
determined not to allow Franco to
adopt a personal foreign policy.
It is felt here that when the
day comes for the Germans to
launch their attack against Gibral-
tar, they won't care what Franco
has promised the United States OF
Evening star., 1940-12-10

nouement of a
con trov ersy
which has kept
t h e Uni t e d
States Marine
Corps in a fer
ment for more
than two years.
Also, this ap-
pointment sig
nalized a funda-
mental change
in the system OF
selecting gener-
al officers for
the M arin e
Tor,>c
Evening star., 1940-12-10
This Changing World
Assistance to Greece May Transmit Temporary
Victory Over ItoIy to One of Permonenee
By CONSTANTINE BROWN.

intends Claus good and mot good
He mind whether will be kind the bad
boys, too.
1t only logical and natural that Greece should be helped with all
the disposal The Greeks valiant fight
seriously wounded the Achilles heel of the Musson lost
only battle but what much Balkans
Italian
Africa protector
Evening star., 1940-12-10

Deal agencies
will be sustained
by the Congress.
The situation
on Capitol Hill
is almost incred-
ible from the
S t a n dpoint of
democracy with
a small I'd" Here
is a representa-
tive body of
legislators which
has-quite prop
erly-refused to
adjourn in the
midst of the war
Evening star., 1940-12-10

process-the chances of the party
out of power ever winning national
election in America again would
seem to be remote.
Reproduction RIGHTS ReservedD
Evening star., 1940-12-10
Psychological Effect of Poll

Obviously could begun candidate
cal a procedure devastating.
considerable
conduct of the straw
conducted by Immediately before the
election when the Gallup poll indicated decided swing toward Wendell
Republicans Gallup
poll wasm an o
the McKear resolution investigate polls straw and for
Mcclellan Gallup asking him.
presidential election Gallup
either the Republican
he did 1910
political Toilette independent
Progressive in the presidential election of 1924 vote for Alfred
inability
recently Illinois Mcclellan
polls