Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1916-11-05
MEETINGS TO Be
HELD IN INTEREST
Of FOREIGN born
Calls for Gatherings Are
Being Sent Out by the
United States Department
of Labor.

Washington, Nov. 4.-The bureau of
naturalization of the United States de-
partment of labor is sending out calls
for mass meetings to be held through
out the country in every city and town
whose population includes the foreign
born. The time for each mass meeting
is to be determined locally by the pro-
per authorities when arrangements are
completed.
The bureau of naturalization OF the
United States department of labor has
during the past two and one-half years
proposed four events great In admin
istrative governmental activities:
The first was securing of the Coop
GRAFTON of the public schools OF the
United States with that bureau in citt-
zenship preparedness.
The second, the proposal to the city
OF Philadelphia to hold the citizenship
reception at which the president spoke,
on May 10, 1915.
The third, the holding Of a citizen
ship convention in Washington COM
posed of delegates from the public
schools working in cooperation with
that bureau for the elevation of the
standard of American citizenship.
The fourth proposal from this pro-
gressive governmental bureau is to call
a mass meeting of citizens and pros
pective citizens, including the actual
candidates for citizenship and the nom
candidates from the foreign born resi-
dents Of each community in the Unit
ed States. These mass meetings are,
primarily, for the purpose of getting
the candidates for citizenship into the
night school classes maintained by the
public schools, in cooperation with
the bureau OF naturalization, for their
benefit.
Working in close cooperation with
the bureau of naturalization of the
United States department Of labor, the
public school authorities of the United
States have provided the means where
by the adult alien population may learn
to speak, read and write the English
language and obtain knowledge of
American institutions and government
The results thus far have been most
far reaching in their influence upon the
public mind. The necessity for these
citizenship classes has been seen in ev
cry city with a foreign community and
demonstrated by their organization in
every state of the union. The advant-
age to the community is realized but
the alien friend does not understand
what they mean to him. 1t is to bring
the benefits clearly to their minds that
these mass meetings have been called
by the naturalization bureau. 1t is es-
sential that the attendance upon these
night classes be materially increased in
all sections of the country. This, 1t Is
confidently believed, can be accom-
plished through mass meeting for
adult foreigners to be held in every city
in conjunction with the city authorities
and public spirited citizens generally, at
which time the benefits to be derived
through a course of study at the night
schools may be clearly and forcibly
placed before the foreign born.
Moreover, these mass meetings have
for their objective the elevation of the
standard of American citizenship in
the eyes OF the public representing the
resident alien body, citizens by birth,
the school authorities and the judiciary.
The courts Of the United States stand
ready to recognize any elevation of
the standard of qualifications for ad-
mission to citizenship when those quail
ifications have been demonstrated as
possible of attainment by the public
schools locally.
To insure the success of this nation
wide movement for the betterment of
civic conditions the bureau of naturali-
cation has asked the cooperation of
the various commercial, labor, patriot
fc and other organizations together
p with the superintendents of schools,
civil authorities, clerks of naturaliza-
ton courts, and officials of the Local
foreign or racial associations. The
federal authorities Of the department OF
labor believe that the time is ripe to
strike an effective blow at illiteracy
and incompetency by stimulating the
interest of employers and employees
foreign and native born, men, women
and children in the great national
problem Of alien instruction and citi-
Eenship preparedness.
These mass meetings will permit OF
full and free discussion OF the vita
points involved. The facilities afford
ed by the local public schools can be
made known to the resident foreign
born and action taken to insure their
attendance upon the night classes pro
vided for their benefit.
There are approximately sixteen and
one-half million foreign born residents
In this country, of which only about
three and a half million have been nat
uralized, according to the last census
and subsequent immigration figures
The remaining millions, although a
-------------------------