New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1915-07-20
EMPHASIZES HIGH
COST OF WARNING
Comparison Of American ReVolu.
ton and European Conflicts.

Portland Ore, July 2o.-The high
cost or warning, when the campaigns
OF Washington are compared to the
European conflict, was emphasized
III the report Of the registrar general
OF the Sons of American Revolution
at the first days session of the So
clety's twenty sixth annual conven-
ton here
Thomas Jefferson, he said, review
ing the finances of the revolution,
estimated the cost of the war at an
average of $17,500,O0O a year. That
sum now is scarcely more than Grea
Britain's war cost for a single day.
The total cost Of the revolution-ap
proximately $40, 900, 900 covering a
period of eight years is less than the
total cost of the European war for
a month
Education of Alien
The committee on information OF
Aliens reported great activity during
the last wear IN, promoting the .edu-
cation Of the alien population to the
adVantages Of american citizenship.
Wlth various Societies and municipal
ltles the society has co-operated in
establishing courses in civil govern
ment and other subjects tending to
the enlightenment of those of for
eign birth. The committee pointed
out that of the three million souls
which peopled the thirteen colonies.
one fifth could not speak English,
one-half was of other than Anglo
Saxon descent, and even now in some
OF the states the proportion of for
eign born is as great as thirty per
cent. "
y Detained efforts to educate aliens
to the allegiance and obligations of
American citizenship We're described
Personal letters have been sent to
more than fifteen hundred judges or
federal and state courts having juris
diction over naturalization, urging
that the ceremony of administe ring
the oath of allegiance be made a
solem and impressive one. 1t is sug-
gested that on such occasions the pre-
siding judge or some citizen of high
standing in the community adj
dress the prospective citizens upon
the Importance of the fact of trans
ferring allegiance from one nation to
another and the obligations which
accompany it. The committee ex-
pressly recommended the promotion
Of such meetings as that held in
Philadelphia on May 10, last, when
President Wilson addressed several
thousand recently naturalized Ameri-
cans and welcomed them to the priv
ileges Of American institutions.
Ignorant of Constitution.
Much ignorance, the committee re-
ported, had been found among school
children, and even adults, regarding
the constitution of the United States.
In m ,yyt y, ~ nf
found that fundamental document
was not for sale in ready form. The
society recently has distributed one
hundred thousand copies to night
schools and settlements of aliens.
While much OF a statistical nature
has been preserved and handed
down relating to the Continental ar
mics, the little Navy which carried
the newest flag to the seven seas has
not Jared so Well. A careful study
has been conducted however for the
committee on military and naval
records by Rear Admiral Chester,
and his researches. reported by the
committee today, show there we're in
the regular continental navy 81
vessels mounting 1,242 guns, while
the volunteers private armed fleet.
outnumbered it with 1850 vessels and
lo,uUUS guns. IDTlIISn Vessels TO TIC
number Of 79T were captured and
with their cargoes, were valued at
$24, 900, 000 The American navy
mustered then about 10000 men, and
a, majority Of the names of those
heroes were not left for posterity
The navy won 70 per cent of, its en-
gagements; the army won forty. Re-
seaches now being prosecuted In
state archives, and collections Of his
torical societies as well as private
collections of manuscripts to make
as complete as practicable a publica-
ton by the government of the con-
tinental army and navy muster roll
More than thirty thousand records
have been found so far chiefly in
Massachusetts,, Virginia and North
Carolina.