Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1916-06-30

BUREAUS WORK

| Washington, June 29.-The bureau
OF naturalization of the department O
labor today rounded out it's first de-
cade of constructive and adlslinistra
tive work under modern methods
This work, which has attracted little
ats ntion on the part Of the general
public, has it's foundation in the very
vitals of the national fabric and con-
sists in the task of making citizens
out of The raw material of the resi-
dent foreigner who year by yea: mas
been coming to this country from all
the nations of the world in vast and
increasing numbers.
The making of citizen insofar
as the requirements of the law arc
concerned, is no difficult matte!, but
to make IA citizen in spirit, sympa-
| thy and loyalty, one imbued with all
Of the essentials of love of country,
is a vastly different matter. For
over century the nation quietly and
persistently slept upon this most i'm
portant duty and permitted anyone,
even the most unscruplous, to violate
the naturalization laws and to add
hundreds of thousands annually to
the enjoyment CT the privileges of the
franchise. the holding Of Office, anc
all the other rights held in ancient
Rome to be sacred to the n2tural-born
citizen
Congress, however, was aroused by
the report of the commissioners OF
naturalization. appointed by the
president, and on June 49,, 1906,
PASSED the present naturalization Law.
By Yhis law, all of the courts, both
state and federal, and the officials OF
these courts. in their ministerial re-
laticnship, were placed under the
supervision of the United States gov
eminent This administrative au-
shortly rests with the bureau Of
naturalization of the department OF
labor.
More than three million foreigners
have asked FOR citizenship during the
ten years of federal supervision OF
the naturalization law. While this
seems a great many, the number does
net appear relatively very large when
there are probably more than 49,
600 600 foreigners in this country and
that of this number the vast majority
are not citizens.
BY far the larger portion of the
foreign residents of the United
States have retained their allegiance
to the sovereignty of their birth.
This fact was strikingly videnced at
the outbreak of the European war. II
is we'll known that large numbers OF
our foreigrl ri, sidents returned i'm
mediately upon the call O. the coun-
try c. their nativity, s:verins the ties.
personal. family, industrial. and
others which had grown UP in this
country fer the stronger cali of al
legiance to the land of their birth.
Many returned TO the old countries
who had q clared their Intention 10
become citizens of the United States.
Some of these afterwards returned
to their country and presented them
selves before the courts of. citizenship
TO- admission. Judges of the nat
uralization courts have held that such
absence from this country in the
armies and fighting under their ma
tive allegiance broke the continuity
or foSlQGDc.a LOT HdtufdllZdliOl pun
poses, and denied their applications.
In recent years the bureau of nat
uralzaticn has been devoting In
creasing attention TO the work of pre-
pairing the foreigner for citizenship.
The courts have been reluctant to re-
fuse citizenship to candi6i1te. even
though he he ignorant Of our insti-
tutions o. Of the privileges conferred
upon him. Especially is this SO
where here are ne facilities offered
by tho cities and towns where the
petitioners live for overcoming these
defects In MANY PLACES the public
schools have, under the inspiration OF
the bureau c. naturalization. opened
their doo~s to the foreigner and have
laughs. him the duties of American
citizenship and, in these places. the
courts have readily responded tn the
new order of things and refused citi-
zenship unless the candidate could
come up to the higher stondara which
has bel-n brought about by the fad-
oral supervision. This system the
bureau has tried ont for some years
and with gratifying success in yari-
ons localities throu ehout the country.
TODAY there sca fcelv state in tho |
whole conntrv thrf docs nc. how.
citi2enshi- classesl carried on oithor
Nv the public seholbls or nnder tho di-
rect;On Of nslv.@nI ,co.o;,