Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-10
CITIZENS FOR PROFIT
Aliens Who Take Advantage
of Our Lax Laws.
NOT REAL AMERICANS
STAY HERE ONLY LONG ENOUGH
TO BE NATURALIZED
Then Go Back Home to Live-Many
Frauds Committed-A Particu-
1arly fragrant Case.

larry fragrant Case.
One of the great evils of the existing laws
regarding naturalization is the ease with
which the alien immigrant to the United
States is able to evade them. In his annual
report Commissioner General Sargent says
that agents of the bureau Of immigration
have learned that aliens find it the simplest
of matters to secure certificates and pass
ports from European country to this, and
have the priceless heritage of American
citizenship to use the language Of the SUI
preme Court of the United States, given to
them who do not deserve 1t and for which
the born American has to walt for twenty
one years before securing the full powers
which it grants.
Mr.. Sargent said on the subject:
1.-THE specific reason for urging upon the
public attention this matter is because
fraudulently naturalized aliens constitute a
serious menace to the administration of the
immigration laws But there are other ana
more serious ills that result from the ire
sponsible bestowal of citizenship on aliens
not necessary to enumerate, but easily con-
ceivable to the thoughtful mind
Marcus Braun an inspector of the bureau
Of immigration, who has Travelled much IN
Europe missions connected with the
study of this question, reported to the bu-
reau that he had had number of inter-
views with missionaries in Syria regarding
immigration from that section. and mad
learned that these Syrians who came to the
United States usually returned to their
country in few years, and that they al
most invariably had in their possession nat
uralization papers recording them cluzens
of the United States. He added, in speak
ing on the subject, that they rarely showed
these papers unless they got into trouble
with the Turkish government, when they
would produce them and demand the pro-
lection of the American consul, thus entail
ing much trouble on that official and caus-
ing needless annoyance in many ways.
They get their papers fraudulently, TINS
being known because the whereabouts OF
many of them have been carefully studied
and they have been found to have been IN
the United States for too short time to
have gained their naturalization In accord
ance with the strict letter Of the law.
NaturaEzed by Fraud.
The promotion Of Syrian immigration Is
charged against persons in st. Louis, New
York and Fort Wayne, Ind, and Inspector
Braun says that he has positive proof that
these alleged American citizens" are not
American at all, and many a oem have
become naturalized by fraud.
From SYRIA" said Inspector Braun. Il
went to Palestine. and although immigra.
ton from the last named place Is not yet
very considerable, the time spent in visit
ing that country was not wasted. The
conditions I found to exist there were even
worse. If that be possible, than In Syria
In the city Of Jerusalem alone l found more
than one thousand American citizens the
vast majority of whom, being Hebrews,
live there ostensibly for religious reasons.
A number of them are engaged In some
business pursuits, but these are In the
minority, the prevailing majority living
on charity mostly on the so-called 'Chalu-
ka,' which is the biblical one-tenth. and
which they obtain from all over the world,
either through charitable organizations or
from private individuals. These people
send out thousands upon thousands OF
begging letters asking for contributions to
promote their devotions and cause Doctor
Merrill, the American consul there. and
his dragoman no end of trouble.
A Profitable Business.
81 had several personal interviews with
some of these fellow-citizens' and gained
much information from them. They work
the American citizen game for all it Is
worth, and 1t is worth a good deal when
you understand that a thousand of
them live from year to year by that alone.
I do not wish to be understood as con-
filming myself to cases in which naturali-
zation was procured by fraud, for even
the majority Of those whose naturaliza-
ton came about in the regular way cannot
be bona fide American citizens. In most
OF these last named cases the persons
VINO procured IQ6 CitlZ6IlSl1p OI Ills COuu-
try lived here just long enough to be legal
ly entitled to naturalization.
This would seem to be quite commenda-
BILE, for it would show desire on the part
of the alien to become an American citi-
zen as quickly as the law permitted If,
however. one glances at the records and
looks carefully at certain names. he will
find that their passports are dated but
one or two days after their naturalization.
What does this mean? Simply that the
newly created American citizen has re-
turned to his native land to work the
American citizenship game on the charita-
bly, inclined and to promote his interests
in many other ways. Their sole object in
coming to this country is for revenue.
They never intend to return to the United
States after they have gone home to Pal
estine. Many of them own property in
Jerusalem. upon which they pay no taxes
to the Turkish government, and they for
ever enveiop themselves in the Amerf-
can flag for protection whenever they de-
sire to defy the Turkish government or
have other reasons for doing So
A fragrant Case.
''Ninety-nine per cent Of these American
citizens in Jerusalem do not speak one
word of English, and few OF them could tell
me the name Of the street on which they
claimed to have lived while in New York.
very fragrant case of naturalization for
the sake of fraud is that Of a man named
jacob EOulz, alInOuSn II Is merely d
typical case and not at all isolated. Politz
declared at the consulate of the United
States that he had resided in this country
from 1887 to 1894, and that he had never
made application to become an American
citizen and had not thought of doing So.
In 1894 he went back to Jerusalem and re-
turned to the United States in 1900, alone,
not single member of his family accom-
panying him. He resided here for two
years and three months, at the end of
which time he obtained his certificate of
citizenship at the United States district
court for the southern district Of New
York.
Now this man was a resident Of the
United States for seven years without ever
thinking of becoming a citizen. Having
earned sufficient money and gathered
enough experience. he concluded to go to
Jerusalem to live. The Turkish govern
ment probably demanded taxes and other
assessments Of him.. and in order to avoid
such payments and to disregard the laws
Of the land in which he intended to live
and die. he decided. after an absence of
six years from the United States. to return
and acquire American citizenship. It has
NOT hanv, y,rCvan that bo livod In he cd