Evening star., 1915-07-04
WHAT THE GOVERNMENT IS DOING

will hardly be
Alien Americans recognizable this
and the Fourth enas IN Of tne eouD-
try because Of the broadened signifi-
canoe the day has suddenly taken on,
due to the efforts Of the United States
bureaus OF immigration, naturalization
! and education in cooperation with
| civic and patriotic organizations.
II Is TO be not only a hardening back
139 years to the Declaration of Inde-
pendence by the handful of our ances-
tors OF the thirteen colonies. but is to
De as well present-day declaration of
independence by members of the more
than thirteen races that have hocked
In to enjoy our independence since its
establishment. The Fourth is to be. in
| q WORD, as result of the efforts of
government workers and citizens, ma
tional Americanization day." as well as
naeiohaI ne. independence day: and while
| Its observers will put as much en-
phasis as In the past on the breaking
| OF old ties, 1t will place a new and equal
emphasis on the welding of new ties.
| the establishment of new relations and
the assumption of new duties and priyi-
| leges.
| The movement, which has spread with
amazing rapidity, according to govern
ment officials having a part in it, will
gain an added significance, it is point
| ed out, because of the turbulent con-
dition of world affairs this year and
the stimulation this has been to the
| taking out of American citizenship
papers by new and old immigrants
alike.
One result of this realization that the
government should take a hand in the
| work OF making the immigrant an
american IN more than the possession
or formal citizenship papers and voting
privilege is the recent cooperative ar
rangement that has been mentioned be-
tween the bureaus of immigration and
education, by which school superin-
tendents will be furnished with the
names of all immigrant children bound
Tor their jurisdictions. That work, how
ever, 1t is explained, important as it is,
merely supplements the truancy laws,
which operate ordinarily with some
degree Of efficiency at least; while the
aims at nothing less than to bring into
the consciousness of every alien, young
or old. who comes within our borders
an understanding of the meaning Of a
democracy and its institutions and the
duties and privileges of citizenship un-
| der such form of government.
The combination of Americanization
day and Independence day is the out
growth OF the observance of a new
citizens day. in some municipalities in
the last year or SO. The greater part Of
the public gained its first knowledge
that such activities were in progress.
however. when President Wilson TO-
cused attention on them in May by his
address of welcome to several thou
sand newly naturalized citizens at a
new citizens reception" in Philadel-
phia. Then it became known that dur
ing the past year public receptions to
| Cleveland. Los Angeles, Baltimore and
other cities.
| Today such receptions and ce1ebra-
tions are being held in we'll over a
aggregate of several hundred thousand
| immigrant citizens and their families
| and friends.
| Some of the significant facts that are
| responsible for the desire of the gov
| ernment officials to help forward Amer
icanization Of the immigrant, for the
very protection of our institutions even,
are that there are 100000 foreign
| born whites Of voting age in the United
States, only little over 100000 of
are over 2,500.000 whites of voting age
| who cannot speak English.
| ST
| Science and the semi-civilized Igorrotes
of the Philippines would hardly seem
at first sight
Scientific Agriculture to go well to-
in the Philippines. thank. et, TO- the the
bureaus of agriculture, science and ed
ucation Of Uncle Sans transpaciic
governments, they are being associated
with most promising results.
In recent years many of the Igorrotes
and other semi-civilized mountain peo-
pies of the archipelago have been en-
ployed by the Philippine government
in the building of roads, bridges and
other public improvements in the
brought them comparative prosperity.
These improvements are nearing COM
pletion. however, and the problem of
furnishing the people with means of
needed as wage laborers is being taken
up by the experts of the three govern
ment bureaus mentioned.
| The solution of the problem. accord
ing to the government experts. lies
| raising and silk culture. In the es-
tablishment of the industries on a firm
basis science. which is a conception
beyond the reach of the minds of most
of these untutored folk, is to be
brought to their assistance by gov
| ernment which. in SO far as they are
| concerned. must be somewhat paternal-
istic II it is to stand for civilization.
Steps that have already been taken
point to gratifying success. Seed rice
| of a type carefully bred by the bureau
| of agriculture has been distributed to
| some extent and has resulted in yields
five times as great as those from the
! rice of the sort usually grown.
| The government is also bringing back
into existence the coffee growing industry
among the Igorrotes. The industry was
wiped out by plant blight before the
American occupation, and the natives
have never been able to re-establish 1t.
Now the bureau of agriculture is dis
tributing a blight-resistant type Of coffee
| which is growing well. The bureau is also
| introducing new plants adapted to condi-
| tions among the Igorrotes such as the
mongo bean from India, American corn
and kind Of sweet potato. Plans are
well under way for introducing among
| the mountain people better bred horses,
cattle and hogs.
In the introduction of silk culture three
bureaus are cooperating. The bureau of
science is furnishing the worms. the
bureau of agriculture the mulberry trees
and the bureau Of education teachers to
explain the various phases of the work.
The industry is established at several
stations. and it is planned to spread it
| throughout the moUltain province.
Factories rather tlan spraying ma
chimes bid fair to solve the problems
raised by the gypsy
Fighting the and brown tailed
,rA moths in New England,
| A4oeA 4eS1S' where these destruc-