The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-09-18

tion in the very vitals of the national fabric and
consists in the work of making citizens out Of the
raw material of the resident foreigner who has
been coming to this country from all of the nations
of Europe ever since it's discovery, and in vast and
increasing numbers during the past three genera.
lions.
The making of a citizen, in so far as the require.
ments of the law are concerned, is no difficult mat.
ter, but to make a citizen in spirit, sympathy, and
loyalty, one imbued with all of the essentials of
love of country, is a vastly different matter. For
over a century the nation quietly and persistently
slept upon this most important duty and per
mitted anyone, even the most INSCRIPTIONS, to VIC.
late the naturalization laws and to add hundreds
OF thousands annually to the enjoyment of the priv
ileges of the franchise. the holding of office, and
all of the other rights, held in ancient Rome to
be sacred to the natural-born citizen.
Congress, however. was aroused by the report
of the commissioners of naturalization, appointed
by the president, and on June 90, 1906, passed the
current naturalization law. By this law, all of the
courts, both state and federal, and the officials of
these courts, in their ministerial relationship, were
placed under the supervision of the United States
government. This administrative authority rests
with the bureau of naturalization of the depart
ment of labor.
With the creation of this federal control, all
of the lawlessness ceased, except in sporadic
cases which arise because of the ignorance of
some particular candidate for citizenship, his in
born fear of the government and the law, which
make him the prey of the unprincipled, willing
to win a few dollars by quick rather than honest
methods.
Almost two and one-half million foreigners have
asked for citizenship during the first eight and
threefourths years of federal supervision Of the
naturalization law. Almost one and three-quarters
million of these have declared their intention, or
taken out their first papers. Something over
three-quarters of a million have asked for final
papers, and, of these, about CSC, 900 have been ad-
mitted to citizenship during that time.
During the same time, there have been upwards
of $4,000 foreigners who have been refused ad-
mission to citizenship. Over one-half of these
have been denied because of mental and moral
unftness. The bureau has kept a close supervi-
sion over this phase of it's work and as early as
1907, through its activities, the public mind was
directed to the necessity for providing some
means to enable these unfortunate. candidates
from the vast foreign populace not only to ac-
complish the act of admission to citizenship, but
to equip them better to carry on the daily fight
for their livelihood. For it is among these that
the fight for their existence is carried on under
the most adverse circumstances.
While the above figures indicate a large mum.
Der among the foreign element of this country
coming forward for citizenship, the number does
not appear relatively very large when 1t is known
that in 1910 there were nearly IA, 00O, 900 foreign
es in this country. that of this number 5000, 600
were not citizens, and that the foreign body has
been increased nearly 1000, 900 annually since
then. By far the larger portion of the foreign
residents OF this country have retained their al.
legiance to the sovereignty of their birth. Re-
SSAS III II PuDliC pISSS nav buOWH
many of these are ready to respond to the be-
hest of these sovereignties. 1t is we'll known that
large numbers returned Immediately upon the
call of the country Of their nativity, leaving the
ties, personal, family, industrial, and others
which have grown up in this country, for the
stronger call Of allegiance to the foreign SOW
ereignty. This was the case prior to the great
war of Europe, in the lesser wars among the Bal
kan states. Many have gone back to the old
countries who have declared their intention. Some
OF these afterwards returned to this country and
presented themselves before the courts of citizen
ship for admission. Judges of the naturalization
courts have held that such absence from this
country in the armies and fighting under their
native allegiance broke the continuity of resi-
dence for naturalization purposes. and denied
their applications.
Among the approximately 4,000,0 900 foreign
allen residents, 1,650.361 are classed as i~lliterate.
These illiterates are the natural prey of the de-
signing and scheming foreigners and natives, as
we'll, at every turn. They compel them to pay
tribute, both In cash and blood, for every service
both real and imagined. and in the qualification
of their desires. however INSCRIPTIONS or un-
natural.
For years this conditions has been studied by
the bureau OF naturalization in it's application to