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


his first papers. or who has just de-
cIared his intention to become q cati-
zen at some future time, has been
IA rxely neglected The bureau has
recognized, however. that there has
been a constant, and steady, though
silent, appeal coming annually from
the hearts OF hundreds OF Thousands OF
foreigners holding drst papers, Lor re-
lief, help and assistance to the at
Itainment of their hopes and desires
lin this country
The law permits an alien to declare
his intention who Is an lliterate. In
from two years to five he Is ehgibie
Ito petition for decentralization. During
that period, while the United States
holds the candidate to be on probation.
lit has done nothing heretofore to help
his claim except In q very meager
way. The bureau Of naturalization has
been the only governmental agency
wh.ch has extended to him the help
ing hand It has now arranged and
perfected plans for the helping hand
to be extended to the nearly half q
million foreigners who each year ask
for citizenship.
High Water Mark.
During the last year over $50, 900
foreigners declared their intention
and petitioned for naturalization This
Is the high water mark sine federal
The federal census rec
orCs for the United States show that
the foreign popu ton is many times
greater than the number who come
forward for citizenship. In many
states the proportion of candidates
born white population is at the low
est possible ebb In no state does it
exceed fifty per cent, while in some
states it is as low as two per cent.
This is true OF the number OF foreign
ers who take out their first papers
and those who become citizens. In
some states there are more foreigners
living outside the large cities than
in them. and yet, the largest number
of candidates for citizenship are found
among those living in the cities. In
many parts OF the country there have
been more candidates admitted to cit
izens11ip in given localities than Is rep
resented by the entire number Of reg
istered voters In many places they
represent majority of those o fvotfng
age. A goodly percentage OF the can
didates for first papers come from the
early arriving Immigrants. Many
who are admitted to citizenship are I'M
able to inscribe their names In the
En- glish language but do so in foreign
characters unintelligible to the Amer
lean born. Many who are admitted to
citizenship have only the most meager
ability to speak our tongue and have
but slight ability to comprehend It.
To overcome this, the bureau Of nat
ura1ization has extended its Efforts
throughout the United States and
brought its educational movement to
the attention ofall OF the superlntend-
ents of public schools. wherever there
is any foreign population, for the pur-
pose of enlisting these educators In
carrying forward this movement Per
sonal letters have been addressed to
the superintendents OF schools OF the
cities and counties in each state,
brin ging to their attention this great
activity, in an effort to stimulate in
terest in this work in every locality
where foreigners reside. The bureau
has also discussed its plan PERSONAL
~ with the superintendents Of schools
and presidents Of boards of education
in the various eastern cities and they
have agreed unanimously to lend
their support in opening the doors Of
the public schools for the instruction
schools now in existence, and to ex-
tend the activities of the. schools es-
tablfshed for this purpose so as to
meet with the desires OF the bureau
OF naturalization. Additional confer
ences will be held during the next
thirty days with the educational au-
thor;ties In all Of the principal cities
in the country.
Duplicate Papers.
The bureau Of naturalization re-
ceives the duplicates Of all natural
ization papers from $500 naturaliza-
ton courts all over, the United States
and in its letters to the superintend-
ents of schools has shown the number
of foreigners applying for citizenship
during the last three years in the To-
calitfes to which the letters go. 70 Is
sending the names and addresses of
candidates for citizenship to the school
cities, and arrangements have been
perfected SO as 10 1ncluue all OF the
principal cities Of the United States,
commencing with the opening OF the
school year fhis coming faN. The
purpose OF the bureau in sending
these names is to enable the schbol
authorities to become acquainted with
the candidates for citi16nslip and to
offer such inducements as they can
citizenship to attend the public school
unless he already has a mastery Of
the English language. At the same
time, the bureau sends literature to
the candidate for citizenship to APP
prise him OF the individual, personal.
indus trial, social and moral advan-j
tages which will accrue to him by an
attendance upon the public schools.
It also describes the location OF the
various schools in the large cities so
that the alien can most readily learn
OF them.
Some OF the school authorities have
agreed to furnish descriptive matter
printed In various tongues, for fur
ther facilitating the foreigner in the
selection OF school. Where the con
ditions justify IT school authorities
have signtfied their willingness not
only to omen the night schools for tor