The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-01-09
Schools Help to Drdzo
Aliens to Citizenship
Institutions in 500 Cities Being Used by Naturaliza-
ton Bureau to Bring Applicants Up to Re-
CURED Standard of Literacy.
By JupsoN c. WELL1vER.

The public school authorities Of over
500 cities in the country now arc active.
~ cooperating with the Federal Blu
reau of Naturalization In the effort to
take the hyphen out OF the hyphenated
citizens, and make citizens out OF the
thirteen million aliens resident in thia
! country.
/ In the few years since EFFORT has been
directed to organize systematically the
business OF naturalization, It has been
discovered that the task is herculean.
! When aliens are resident in cities II IL
possible to open an avenue of approach
to them through the schools. When
they are resident in the open country,
It Is much more difficult. though some
success has attended efforts to reach
them through the county superintend-
ents OF schools.
Nevertheless. the public schools are
the chief instrument sought to be uti-
lizcd in drawing the alien millions to
citizenship. There is every reason to
believe that in the near future this
function OF the schools will be recog-
nized as one OF the most important.
Massachusetts, As Model.
NAoaeoNANSNhNHt Nupot hhNaAINA laws
in so many regards have Leen made
models for the legislation Of the nation
and of other States. is being made the
mentor in this regard. Massachusetts
has worked out definition Of illiteracy
that is to be applied by the Bureau of
Naturalization in It's work. In the hay
State, an illiterate is a person who cam
not measure up to tine educational
standard of the fourth grade in the
public schools. That means that he
must have a reasonable knowledge OF
English. and be able to read and write
II up to the standards OF the fourth
grade examinations. and to spell ana
manage arithmetic to the same degree.
This Massachusetts, definition is regard
ed by the Bureau of Naturalization as
the sanest and most practical that has
been set in this country: and 1t Is the
aim of the bureau to make 4 the stand
ard in naturalization work.
Persons who cannot measure up TO
this minimum intellectual requirement
will be regarded as illiterate and there
fore not qualified for citizenship. Some
modification Of the Massachusetts, basis
will be necessary in order TO provide,
n ulutIElhlWfUk
can Governmental idealsf for this en-
tire test must be predicated on the as
sumption that II represents the require
ment that a candidate FOR citizenship
shall be devoted to the principles of the
Constitution. 1t is believed, on the basis
of experience thus far, that II this test
can be given universal application, the
naturalized citizen will have learned
enough about American institutions be-
fore being given his citizenship. to In
sure that thereafter he will be sincere
ideals of the Government upder when
he lives Moreover, the man who
achieves this much Of elementary edl-
cation II almost certain to expand his
range OF intelligence through reading
In short, It is believed that citizenship
gained through this process VIII be real
citizenship.
Working Out Method.
The method by which aliens are 10
be brought up to this educational stan
dard is fast being worked out. Soon
after the application of the new law
caused the naturalization inspectors TO
begin objecting to candidates for citi-
zenship. a hue and cry began to go
UP from different sections where they
had been working. Rejected candi-
dates and their friends protested Why
should IL suddenly be made harder than
ever before for a man to acquire citi-
Eenship The answer was TO point out
the new law, and to suggest that
would-be citizens equip themselves to
This was the point at which the pub
tic schools came in. The examination
of candidates to determine their uhder-