The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-08-16

.lsAN
+. ON RAW
u DIFF ItslJL I
close supervision over this phase Of
tits work and as early as 1907. throuee.
tits activities, the public mind was dt-
ERECTED to the necessity for providing
some means to enable these unfortun-
ate candidates from the vast foreign
I. populace not only to accomplish the
act OF admission to citizenship, but to
daily fight for their livelihood. For
Int is among these that the fight for
their existence Is carried on under the
most adverse circumstances.
While the above figures indicate a
large number among the foreign, Gle
ment OF this country coming forward
4 for citizenship. the number does not
is known that in 1910 there were near
lily 100000 foreigners in this coun-
!! try, that OF this number 5000, 600 were
mot citizens and that the foreign body
lnas been increased nearly 1.0O6s0OO
annually since then. By far the larger
ipart of the foreign residents OF this
!country have retained their allegiance
!. to the sovereignty OF their birth. Re-
GENTLY reports in the public press have
lshown many of these are ready to re-
spond to the behest of these sover-
eighties. 1t is we'll known that large
numbers returned Immediately upon
1.-THE call Of the country Of their nativ-
ity. leaving the ties. personal. family,
! Industrial and others which have
/ or Ur in f11iS country for the
strongercall of allegianceto the sover-
| eighty. This was the case prior to the
great war of Europe, in the lesser
wars among the Balkan states. Many
1 have gone back to the old countries
!; who have declared their intention.
Some OF these afterwards returned to
this country and presented themselves
4 before the courts OF citizenship for
ladmission. Judges OF the naturaliza-
ton courts have held that such abb
Isence from this country In the armies
and fighting under their native aleg-
lance broke the continuity OF residence
| for naturalization purposes, and de-
MED their applications.
Many IIliterates.
i Among the approximately $4,000 900
| foreign alien residents, 1850, 1861 arc
|classed as iIliterate. These illiterates
fare the natural prey Of the designing
land scheming foreigners and natives,
las we'll, at eevry turn. They compel
them to pay tribute, both dn cash and
blood. for every service both real and
Imagined, and in the qualification OF
their desires. however inscriptions
Tor unnatural.
For years this condition has been
8Istudied by the bureau Of naturaliza-
.|tion in its application to the admins
|tration OF the naturalization laws. Vt
lis safe to state that although $4,000
4 foreigners have been refused citizen
u ship because OF mental and moral IN
II fitness, at least that many have been
4 admitted to citizenship, In spite OF
these defcdencies. during the period
LOT federal supervision. The courts
Ihave been reluctant to refuse citizen
ship to candidate, even though he
4 be ignorant OF our Institutions or Of
the privileges conferred upon him
i Especially is this so where there are
tno facilities offered by the cities and
4 towns where the petitioners live for
4 overcoming these defects. In many
/! places the public schools have. under
the inspiration OF the bureau OF nat
luralization, opened their doors to the
Foreigners and have taught him the
duties of American citizenship and, In
these places. the courts have readily
lresponded to the new order Of things
and refused citizenship unless the can
didate could come up to the higher
standard which has been brought
| about by the federal supervision. This
system the bureau has tried out for
years and with success in various To-
icalities throughout the country. There
lis scarcely state in the whole coun-
.ltry that does not now have citizenship
Iclasses carried on either by the pub
lie schools or under the direction OF
Iprivate agencies.
In many localities where there are
hundreds, and indeed thousands, or
citizens admitted annually, no cog
nizance had been given this import
ant proceeding by the general public
municipal of1cialdom, public school or
other authorities until brought to their
attention BY the representatives of the
bureau of naturalization This was
SO evident that the bureau, through
Its officers brought to the attention OF
| the mayor OF the city of Philadelphia,
| last winter, the fact that about 4,0Oo
lpetitions for naturalization would be
heard during the Spring months and
| as result OF this, approximately 81
| 500 new citizens would be made at
THAT time in the persons OF the can
didates and their wives and children,
lborn abroad. This resulted in the
| first reception extended by any mu-
inictpality in the United States 70 us
citizens Of foreign birth.
Nationwide Movement.
This reception was but one of the
activities OF the bureau OF natural
| ization to bring to the attention OF the
entire nation this most vital activity
of citizenship. In the press of the
day preceding the reception, there was
published throughout the United
States an announcement OF the nation
| wide movement for the education of
the resident alien body through the
Il .1f1 ..SAs HnSl e