1922 Encyclopædia Britannica/Connecticut

CONNECTICUT (see ) had in 1920 a pop. of 1,380,631, as compared with 1,114,756 in 1910. The increase for the decade was 23.0%, as compared with 14.9% for the whole United States, and was the highest percentage of increase for Connecticut of any decade up to that time. In 1900 the pop. per sq. m. was 181.9; in 1910, 231.3; in 1920, 286.4.

History.&mdash;In 1913 it became known to the public that the financial condition of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford railway was unsound. The dependence of the people of the state on the road was made clear by a statement of the road's president, Mr. Howard Elliott, that in 1913 the road controlled 942 of the 1,000 m. of steam railroad in the state, and in addition was interested in separately operated trolley lines aggregating 605 m. out of a total of 911 miles. This dependence was augmented by the fact that (to quote Gov. Holcomb) &ldquo;the securities of this corporation are quite largely owned and held by women and children, in trust funds, and by our insurance companies who purchased them as a safe, conservative investment.&rdquo; The change in the financial affairs of the railway brought its stock rapidly from far above par to much below. The suffering caused was general and very considerable. Public opinion forced a change of management.

When the United States was finally compelled to sever diplomatic relations with the Imperial German Government (Feb. 3 1917), Gov. Holcomb requested the Legislature (Feb. 6 1917) to provide for a census of men of military age, the object being to determine not only the number of such men but their occupations, previous military training, nationality and whether or not they were citizens. It was the pioneer military census within the United States and served as a model for those of other states. The Home Guard of Connecticut, formed March 9 1917, rose to 10,000 men. During the summer of 1917 the 26th Division was organized from the New England National Guard. Of the units in that organization the following came from Connecticut: the 1st and and Conn. Infantry became part of the 102nd Infantry; two batteries of Conn. Field Artillery became part of the 103rd Field Artillery; the Conn. Cavalry became part of the 101st Machine-Gun Battalion; and the 1st Conn. Field Hospital and 1st New Haven Field Hospital became part of the 101st Sanitary Train. The division established its headquarters in France at Neufchateau, Oct. 31 1917. It participated, among other actions, in the Aisne-Marne, the St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne offensives. During the formation of the 26th Division, preparations were being made for the National Army. The 1st Provisional Training Regiment was organized at Plattsburg,

N. Y., May 15 1917. To this regiment Connecticut sent her officer candidates to train for commissions. On Aug. 25 1917 the 76th Division was organized at Camp Devens, Ayer, Mass., its officers below the rank of lieutenant-colonel being drawn almost entirely from the 1st Provisional Training Regiment. The bulk of the drafted men from Connecticut went originally to this division. In July 1918 the division established headquarters in St. Amand-Mont-Rond, France, and became the 3rd Depot Division. The number of Connecticut men drafted under the Selective Service Act was 34,574; this figure does not include the numerous volunteers in the armies of the United States or of the Allies. The number who died were 1,305. The amount subscribed by Connecticut in the five War Loans was $437,476,103, an amount $137,557,803 above the state's quota.

Connecticut failed to ratify either the 18th (Prohibition) Amendment or the 19th (Woman Suffrage) Amendment to the Constitution of the United States. The governors of Connecticut in the years following 1909 were: Frank B. Weeks, 1909-11; Simon E. Baldwin, 1911-5; Marcus H. Holcomb, 1915-21; Everett J. Lake, 1921-

(R. H. G.)