New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1906-01-11
INTERPRETATION REFORMS.

4 little more than year ago Secretary Hay
appealed to Congress TO remodel our naturaza-
ton laws. Frauds in natura liZatiOn, he found,
were a source of continual embarrassment to the
State Department. The procurement of natural
ization papers and passports by persons intend
ing to use them to escape the obligations of
citizenship in the countries of their nativity had
become fragrant abuse 1t was discovered that
no less than 16 per cent of the naturalized per
sons applying for passports were naturaliZed
within the previous six months-that is TO say,
naturalzed with q predetermined purpose to
live abroad AS aliens here they had avoided
the duties of citizenship. But going home again,
they obtaned-and often fraudulently-a safe
conduct which they hoped would again relieve
them from the burdens of citizenship. Ameri-
cans of this sort are continually getting into
hot water and then appealing TO our ministers
and cOnsu1s for assistance. As Secretary Hay
put the case TO Congress: The protection of
American citizens abroad is of the most
important duties of the department To per-
form it effectively and avoid international frc-
"tion requires the use of discretion and good
Judgment OH the part of our agents abroad, and
1T is thanklesS task when the persons for
whose protection they intervene are discovered
mot to be really entitled 10 the naturalization
certificates they hold.
Other reasons were advanced-one of them
hauling and amending naturalization prac-
tees But Congress at the short session last
winter found no time to prepare an amendatory
law Just before adjournment, therefore PreSi-
dent Roosevelt appointed commission of three
officers from the Department OF State. one
from the Department of Justice and one from the
Department of Commerce and Labor. to investi-
gate naturalization abuses and report suggestions
for new naturalization bill The commission
nominated consisting of Mr.. Milton ID. Purdy
assistant to the Attorney General; Mr. Gailard
Hunt chief of the Bureau Of Passports in the
State Department and Mr.. Richard X. Camp
bell of the Department of Commerce and Labor
has recently presented Il report which has been
printed and referred TO the Committee on Immi-
grafton and Naturalization of the House of Rep
resentatiyes Some of the recommendations it
makes are of general interest, and are we'll
worth reproduction.
The commission wisely insists on the neces-
sty of standardizing our naturalization methods
that is to say. requiring uniform court pro-
cedure uniform text in the certificates issued
uniform fees and a uniform system of record
and registration. At present there are hun
dred divergences in practice. and the avenues TO
fraud are left wide open. The commission
would simplify matters by abolshing the declar-
alton Of first intention and making naturaIiza-
ton single definite act. To guard against the
issue of certificates to aliens intending to leave
the country every applicant should be obliged
to declare his intention to live permanently in
the United States To support this declaration
lie must show that he has learned and can use
the English language. III order to minimize
naturalization for political, purposes, tertif-
cate is 10 be issued within thirty days OF the date
of u Presidential or Congressional election SO