The Washington herald., 1909-03-07

Questions asked by the judges some
times bring forth answers that cOnvulse
the court rooms. but mirth-stirring Incl
dents Of this sort are becoming rarer
and rsrer nowadays, FOR the mental acu-
men OF The applicants is raised 20 a
higher point There is little IN common
between them and The Man with the
Hoe who once was pupularIy supposed
10 represent the type Foreigners or eX-
tremely low brain power may enter the
country. but they no longer make sue
cessfUI bidders for American citizenship
BY means Of this fle the checking Up
Of the applicants statements is made
comparatively easy. The examiners draw
from him information as TO the circum-
stances OF his arrival; that Is. the ship
on which he left Europe, his port Of de-
partUre and port OF entry here. his home
] abroad, the date OF sailing and arrival.
the condition Of his purse and few
other personal facts, then the examiners
write the immigration Bureau IN Wash
lngJon for transcript OF their record OF
the mans case. When the transcript
arrives. the statements OF the applicant
I 10 the examiners are compared with the
information contained IN f. If the two
documents agree in essentiaiS-due allow
ance being given tricks OF memory IN
minor details-and the applicant has an
swered questions 70 the satisfaction OF
the examiner. and his FIVE years OF past
life bear all the scrutiny that can be
placed upon them. his case goes before
( the court for ratification
But woe bedde the poor foreigner whose
I statements are not borne out by ths
record OF the Immigration Bureau. par-
ticulariy In the matter Of residence on
Y American sol. He, and his witnesses
/ with him. win soon be facing a charge
/ Of perjury and probable term OF pun
I ishment as a consequence OF such fail
/ from the path OF truth Perjury is the
/ most common evil met with by the ex-
I arliners. and the false witness is made
/ always on the question Of residence The s
I anxiety OF the foreigner 70 vote before
( he IS legally ripe~for the privilege Is
! thought 20 be responsible for the willing
4 ness 20 commit perjury. But how tbs ap-
plicant is able 10 bring with him wit
/ nesses who VIII render themselves liable
I 20 the law is q question mighty puzzIirg
/ 10 the examiners Particularly when
/ these witnesses are placing their own
} American citizenship, already granted, in
/ jeopardy
/ With The idea firmly fixed IN the popu-
I lar mind that foreigners enter this cOun-
I Try for the purpose OF gaining some hun
/ dreds OF good. solid. American dollars %
{ I've upon in ease and icleness IN the land
/ OF their birth on returning. which & IS
i commonly believed they intend doing as
quickly as the money has been got To-
gether. a refutati0n of this theory RON
/ the examiners. who speak from personal
observations, comes with startling force.
/ The examiners states that fully 3 per
cent Of immigrants seriously intend re-
/ naming IN America and that his huge
percentage OF a monster total really do
remain Naturally all these. the male
1 portions, of course, want 70 become
/ American citizens And with the average
good years total OF entering Immigrants
Far IN excess OF a hundred thousand. 4
can easily be appreciated that constant
hard work IS cue out for the Naturaliza-
tion Bureau
That Uncle sam IS very select Il. herd
ling the sheep Of those immigrants who
are calculated 70 make good citizens from
1.-THE goats OF uudesirables s shown from
statistics. the result OF one year being
sufficient 10 demonstrate that there IS
considerable of what horsemen call
I class" 10 our new feilovg-cfrizens. Tr1r-
Ing the fiscal year ended June 81. 1e1S.
800 applied for second papers. OF these
but $3.50 were granted the precious .privf-
ilege OF franChised citizenship, 400. OF
more than 2000 n excess Of one-thtrd part
or the total applying. being refused FOR
some cause or other Il is interesting %
note that 1S5.e10 foreigners applied Tor
lhrst papers during that fiscal year
Pittsburg an Important District.
/ The Pittsburg district IS BY Far the most
important IN the territory in the keeping
iof the Naturalization Bureau located
here. which IS the reason PIttsburE was
iCh0sen as headquarters over Buffalo or
i Cleveland In a general average foreisn-
ers living in the P1ttsburg district 10
the number Of 70 q month are on the last
lap 10 citizenship. while the whole terri
tory Of the bureau brings out between
so and LEO cases a month. this including
/ PIttSburg- In round numbers, there were
100 applicants from Pittsburg considered
4 by the bureau in the year ended June So
1905. and Of these upward Of 400 were ad-
mitted- There were also 2500 first papers
/ issued
/ one OF the most troublesome features n
/ connection with the naturalization OF for
! eigners with which the bureau has 10 con-
] tend IS the peculiar surnames OF the appIi-
] cants- To glance down a page filed with
7 the names OF these applicants would De
/ sufficient 10 ache the stoutest head. Ever
\ nation OF Europe IS represented In the
/ books OF the Office. and the length OF the
tfamily names, 10 say nothing CT the "a
/ ternally donated ones. Is astonishing In
| possible 10 pronounce are the majority.
i but the examiners state that they become
/ accustomed 70 the unconventional spell
/ ing and constantly recurring consonauts-
and after long practice make successful
efforts 10 pronounce even the most hid
eOus IN appearance
Many Change Their Names.
/ Relief from too much name can easiIv
I be gained. however and the examiners
I state that as many as two IN every r-In-
/ dred take advantage OF the opportunity
I and have their sUrnames curtaEled TO ease
OF length and pronunciation at the tine
I OF naturalization All that IS necessary Is
! for the applicant 10 petition the Judge for
/ a change OF name, and "his honor" win
/ hand down the abbreviated handle with
/ the signed naturalization papers. al al
/ the same time. It is said that many for
/ eigners take Il upon themselves 10 mod
I fly their names 10 American standards.
/ there being no law against the practice.
\ and they may possibly think they are
( saving a $ bin in legal fees.
But the hitch here comes IN the IN
/ heritance Of money or land OF deceased
relatives abroad A personally conducted
[ change in surname has no place in law.
and an inheritor who has stripped himself
OF his family name might be hard pur 70
/ II to prove his actual identity, particularly
! II there were other heirs. But II the
/ change come from the hand OF the court.
l there is no chance for inherited money
. or real estate slipping from eager fingers
The most ordinary method adopted in
| changing name which sounds and SPELLS
peculiarly &c American ears and eyes IS