Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-04-15
,copyrIsht. 1906, by John Elfreth watklns.)

S1I7T - keep strict tab on naturaliza-
ton crooks - now multiplying
with a rapidty that puts TO
q shame their fellow vermin 49,
Congress will very probably es
2ablish IN the Department of Commerce
and Labor a central office with a super
vision over citizen manufacture. A bill to
this effect. favorably reported In the House,
places the new office under the bureau of
immigration, which it rechristens the
bureau of immigration and naturalization"
Such contamination was devoutly wished
Tor by Presidents Arthur and Cleveland,
and has just been recommended to Con-
gress by the commission on naturaliza-
ton"
Surprising naturalization frauds are being
brought to light in various parts of the land
by the Department of Justice, whose eX-
posures. together with those of the COM
mission on naturaliza ton, make 1t plain
that our system of manufacturing citizens
out of alien raw material is a farce from
beginning to end, as now engineered
About 10000 naturalizations per year, by
leo different coUrts-i57 federal and the
remainder state-is our present average. as
nearly as can be approXimated. There
really are no statistics. surprising as It
may seem.
our process of citizen manufacture is
prescribed by a musty and worm-eaten law
over century old, and under which there
has developed a loose, unsatisfactory and
careless method, leading to the groSSest
frauds. There are found to be almost as
many distinct forms of naturalization GER
tihcates as there are naturalization courts
There are all sorts of ways Of fling them
aud no general headquarters where they
are indeXed or checked up. Uncle Sam has
really never troubled himself about the
matter hitherto.
\ new safety paper, whose secrets CT
manufacture viii never be confded to the
public, will be used to print all naturaliza-
ton certificates. II the bill in question goes
through. This fabric may be similar to that
on which are printed the famous Bank of
England notes. which have never yet been
successfully counterfeited. The certificates
will be thus printed under the supervision
OF the new bureau, which will supply them
consecutively numbered to the courts
There will be absolutely no difference In the
form of certificates. save for the numbers
and the data filled In and each sheet Will
he in three sections-one 10 be torn off and
given to the newly naturaliZed foreigner a
duplicate TO be turned in 10 the new bu-
reau ard a stub TO be retained by the clerk
OF the naturalizing court. To clinch the
matter further, this central bureau will
furnish each immigration station with reg
listers, wherein must be recorded each
irving immigrants name, age. occupation
height. complexion, color of hair and eyes
place OF birth. last residence. intended res
idence, and so on, which data Will also be
required his naturalization certificates,
II he Rfterwsrd applies for one. A com
plete card catalogue in tie bureau will put
at the fingers ends OF the officials this Off
cial description of the allen taken al the
time lie lands. He will be given dupli-
cato OF the description taken on landing.
which he will produce at the time of apply
ing for naturaliza ton.
This uniform safety certificate will put
90 rout operators OF the fraudulent mills
now producing, by the thousands, bogus
naturalization certificates not suspected by
the authorities. simply because of the many