The Washington times., 1916-01-09

standing OF the principles of the Amer.
lchn Government proved the greatest
sucking point. About 10 per cent OF
the candidates for citizenship failed
IN the examination. Considering that
only small percentage OF all aliens
even Try to get final papers as citizens.
equipped. the proportion of unqualihed
m the entire body Of unnaturalized
Aliens must be appalling.
ihese persistent failures of candi-
s oates opened the woy to conferences
or local school authorities with the nat
urallzation judges and the bureau's in
spectors The frs town in which night
schools were opened to provide citi-
zenship classes for deficient aspirants
was Hartford, Conn. Judge Platt, or
the United states disyrict court--a son.
by the way, of the late Senator Orville
II. E1att-is credited with starting the
movement in that city. He was inn
pressed with the Importance OF the new
law and the necessity of helping to
secure compliance with II, and ar
ranged session with the school board
which resulted In starting the first cit
izenship classes. only n few attended
al first. and the Innovation was not
rerS promising. Judge Platt helped the
thing along by taking the side Of the
inspectors. He Sentenced" some of the
ill-equipped applicants to six months
come back In six months with the cer-
tificate that you have done the neces-
sary work. and III give you the citi-
zenship papers," he would say.
Private Organizations Helping.
Private educational institutions. the
Y. NJ. G. A.. Jewish organizations, pa
triotic societies, and many associations
of naturalized citizens became interest
ed in this educational work. and start
ed schools to help IL. or else appealed
to the public school authorities to es-
tablsh II in night schools.
The movement spread at amazing
organized in forty-two states, and In
over 500 cities and towns. 1t is i'm
possible to state the number OF people
actually taking the courses, but 1t is
large and increasing rapidly. In many
places attention has been attracted to
the work by making notable civic oc-
CHsions. with impressive ceremonies,
on the occasion Of the graduation of
citizenship classes. and also on the occa-
sion of comforting citizenship on them .
President Wilson made an address at
one OF these occasions In Philadelphia
few months ago; local notables every
where are doing il constantly.
A fine-tooth-comD organization !s be-
ing perfected as fast as possible by the
Bureau of Naturalization. to get tho
aliens into the citizenship movement. A
great card index system is kept, which
shows the exact record OF every alien
making an application for first papers.
Court records are transcribed each
month. and the cards forwarded 20 the
Naturalization Bureau, showing the
record of all leClarants. This record
the bureau transmits to the school
authorities where the declarant lives,
calling their attention to the facts, and
urging them to get the declarant into
the citizenship schools. At the same
time a letter is sent to the declarant.
and. II he is married, another to his
wife. They are urged to go on with
the citizenship work: and the most
practical OF arguments Is presented 10
them; they are shown how certain they
will be to improve their. station In
life by dint of acquiring the education
offered.
Alien Missionary Society.
Beyond this. tho entire foro!gn-born
student body Is being organized into 4
wonderfully efficient missionary 81.
ciety. to bring in others to the schoois,
ship. This Is the best OF all ways to get
the work before the whole alien poru-
lation.
During the coming year 1t is planned
to hold in Washington big conven-
ton of people interested in this work
school officials. teachers. judges. inspCc-
tors and eople who under the system
is going to be most instructive gath
ering, and II will be expected to foruu-
late. out Of real experience. plans fcr
perfection OF the system.
Among the cities that have taken
greatest interest and attained the lars-
est success In this work are New York
Chic ago. New Bedford. Rock Island
Angeles. Cleveland. and Philadelphia.