1917-1918 The United States Joins the Fight
Alien Registration Forms, 1918
Greenwich Historical Society, William E. Finch, Jr. Archives, Donated by the Greenwich Police Department
A portion of the "Enemy Alien" registration forms compiled by the Greenwich Police are now in the collection of the Greenwich Historical Society. The records provide information about the lives and circumstances of those so defined under federal law.
New York City Police Finger Printing a German, 1917
Library of Congress, Bain Collection, LC-B2-4482-14a
Being German in Greenwich
In the weeks following America's declaration of war, voluntary enlistment did not meet the needs of the military and so President Wilson called for a draft. The Selective Service Act of 1917 specified that those men between the ages of 21 and 31 register with local boards. In Greenwich 2,218 men signed up on Conscription Day, June 5.