The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-06-13

world. Then we need to consider n
we are working out the mission for
which our country was destined"
Here Commissioner Howe stopped
his energetic tramp around and around
his office long enough to light a fresh
cigar. Once that cigar got to drawing
he began again TO ramp and took up
the thread of his talk.
Another reason for such q celebra-
ton here and at this time IL that New
York is a foreign city" he declared.
Now to-day more than one-half OF
the men OF voting age In New York
are foreign horn. or them only some
81 per cent. are naturalized. There
are upward of a half million OF these
men who are in no way identified with
our political life.
During the past year nearly twenty
thousand persons were ~naturalized in
the courts If New York. II is espe-
Cially for these new citizens that we
are holding the Fourth of July recep-
ton. Not only will such a celebration
teach the true ideal OF American citi-
zenship, but II will tend to break up
the foreign groups.
iulAN c' pr cent. 'l tHS IOTtlSH
born population OF New York are
living in groups. They seldom. almost
never. taxi a personal interest in n
question or condition hat does not
affect directly their particular group.
They neither know nor are known by
American horn citizens. II has been
estimated that foreign born persons
living in such groups do not become
Americani2ed until the third genera
ton.
This should not be. We should
get acquainted with them and they
with us. knowing only the language
Of the land OF their birth and Continu-
ing to live exclusively within their
own group Of course they remain for
oigners. In time Of stress what are
we to expect OF them? What have
we a right to expect?
There ought to be a day that Is
the foreign born citizens day as well
as the day Of the native born Amer
lean. What better day could he Sc
lected than the Fourth OF July? What
line is better han now with the wal
going on IN Europe? At no other
m has the contrast between demo-
cratic government and autocratic gov
eminent been so sharply defined.
This Americanization celebration
on the Fourth of July Is only the be-
ginning OF a larger programme. We
want to hold monthly receptions al
Ellis Island, not only for the foreign
born citizens and the new arrivals 10
get in touch with each other but for
the citizens of New York to see the
island which Is really the gateway
IF the nation. want New York to
take an Interest in Ellis Island. in It's
management; TO he proud Of II.
And most of all I want the interest
in the immigrant beginning here on
Ellis Island 10 be extended all along
the line, through the whole process OF
characterization. One OF the most
important things TO the newly arrived
immigrant of course is learning our
language. The Board OF Education of
New York has given me assurances
Of opening night schools for imm!-
grants who have taken out their first
papers. The men OF this group will
Toe taught their privileges and duties
as citizens.
by such means we will in the
future get prepared citizens instead of
those who come to us now many OF
them AS ignorant Of American ideals
and American laws and customs after
"A score of years residence as after
their first few months, Hitherto our
reception OF the alien has been mega
tive. We allowed him TO enter the
country. take out his naturalization
IA n mud urprl ~, ly, ,.,, ..1...s--
as best he could. When we saw 10
It that he was not cheated nor in any
way suffered from graft we thought,
or appeared to think, that we had done
all that could be lone Well, want
more done for him Then We viii
have no more question about his al
l%egiance to America Re VIII he one
Of us. He win understand us and we
him.
Though there are now compare