The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1916-02-01
AUTO COMPANY
PLACES BAN ON
ALIEN WORKER

New York, Feb. line PACKARD
Motor Car Co. of Detroit took the first
steps yesterday to Americanize it's own
plant, and, by publishing it's plans to
other manufacturers. gave the start to
a movement, which it hopes may be-
come national in it's scope, to make
every American Workingman, a real
American and a citizen of the United
States. Under the Packard plan
promotion in its plant is to be re-
stricted to citizens of the United
States, whether native or foreign
born.
No discrimination is to be made
against foreign workmen. Those now
employed by the Packard Co. will not
be disturbed in their work. Others
may be employed as occasion arises,
but one and all will he informed that
advancement VIII depend, before any
thing else. on their citizenship in this
country. The Packard Co. has made
this a. prerequisite without which
prom otton will be imp ossible.
Must Abolish the Hyphen.
In an open letter accompanying a
statement of its new plan A1van Mac
Auley, vice president and general
manager of the company, said:
No nation in the history of the
world has ever tried to work out
it's destinies with so heterogeneous
population as the United States.
The great war of Europe forces
US to acknowledge how far we
are from having melted down our
population to a common basis of
thought and ideals. That war
has shown US that we have a
great political weakness. Our
hyphenated citizens of all ma
tionalities are pulling apart ac-
cording to the thoughts and am
Of 6n 10y
them birth.
How to better this condition is
one of the grave problems that
confront us as a people. It can
not he accomplished by any single
movement, but it can be done in
the course of time if all Amerf-
cans interested in our national
future will do each what he can
to set the entity and greatness of
the American people as a whole
ahead Of any racial ambitions
In accordance with the Pack
ard plan this announcement from
Mr. MacAuley was posted
yesterdays
Americans First.
The Packard Motor Car Co.
makes this announcement of
new and important policy to all of
it's employees:
From and after this date pro
motion to positions of Importance
in the organization Of this COM
pany will be given only to those
who are native born or natural
ed citizens of the United States,
or to those of foreign birth who
have relinquished their foreign
citizenship and who have filed
with our government their first
papers applying for citizenship,
which application for citizenship
must be diligently followed to
completion. -ed
Loyalty Is First
Employees of foreign birth who
retain their foreign citizenship
will not be Disseminated against
in their present positions or work,
but they will not be promoted to
positions of responsibility and
trust.
A prerequisite to employment
with this company must be 10y =
atty to our government and our
flag, in addition to loyalty to the
company itself.
The factory management is au-
thorizedl to make this order eff
fective immediately
BY ALVAN MAULEY,
Vice President and General Mama
ger, Detroit, Mich, Jan. 81, 1916.
In his letter announcing this inn
portant change of policy Mr.. Mac
AuIey writes:
'If it appeals to your wisdom,
we hope you may see ht to follow
along similar lines. We are Amer
leans first, and we believe our en-
ployes, even those foreign born,
will be if they realize that di-
vided or alien loyalty will ham
per their material progress. We
believe, too, our employees will be
better and more efficient work
men after they become patriotic
citizens"
Welcomed by Employees.
In a statement from Detroit last
night Mr.. MacAuIey said that the
new policy was welcomed with de-
light by all native and naturalized
citizens. cit was not he said, "spur