The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1917-03-06
NATURALIZATION
DRIVE OVER THE
UNITED STATES

Washington, March 5-There is
great Americanization drive on all
over the country. Hundreds of thou
sands of adult foreign born of the
United States, who are candidates for
citizenship, are attending public night
school this winter in larger numbers
and over a broader territory than
ever before. The reason is their de-
sire to learn tie English language
and obtain a knowledge of American
institutions and government so that
they may be qualified to enjoy the
Privileges as we'll as assume the du-
ties and responsibilities Of citizen
ship when acquired.
The pubic school authorities of ap-
proX mately 400 cities and towns in
every state in the union, working in
close cooperation with the bureau of
naturalization of the U. S. Depart
ment of Labor, are now maintaining
night classes for the benefit of their
adult foreign born residents. The
number of schools and the attendance
have grown far beyond the expecta-
tons of the most optimistic and this
patriotic movement is now generally
regarded as one Of the great saving
forces of American national life.
This surprising growth has been
due largely to a series of mass meet
ings. proposed by the bureau of ma
turalization, for the purpose of slim
ulating the interest of the candidates
for citizenship in the citizenship
classes conducted in the public schools
| throughout the United States. These
meetings have been arranged by the
merce, municipal officials and vari-
Gus organizations and have had the
cordial support Of applicants for
citizenship, the local resident foreign
body and leaders of the. various racial
associations. The results have been
reaching. Candidates for citizen
| ship now know that they have a real
! friend in the federal government and
; that their exploitation for pecuniary
or political benefit is a thing of the
! past.
In addition to this, discussions at
these meetings focused the attention
! of powerful commercial, labor and
patriotic organizations throughout
the country on the vital importance
/ of alien instruction and closer fed
eral supervision Of the naturalization
! law. Evidence of this is seen in the
resolutions they have forwarded to
members of the United States senate
and house of representatives favor
ing the use of all fees received by
the government in naturalization
matters for the education of the alien
population of the country. These
resolutions closely followed the in
formation, that since the bureau of
naturalization received from congress
a few years ago, the sole control of
naturalization matters, there has
been an annual average Of over $685.
WV al S|NCCSo VI all NuSL u 4iLcIllAeCIi
:, ance, The citizens of the United
States do not hear one cent of the
J expense of this governmental agency
1t is all borne by the foreigner, who
applies for citizenship. In other
words, from the SIS paid by each for
eigner for good administration Of
the naturalization law, all of the ex-
penses of the naturalization of over
100000 annually are paid, and over
S65.900, on an average, is turned into
: Uncle Sans pocket book every year
The activities of the bureau Of
naturalization show how a routine
governmental agency has been trans
formed into great humanizina
force. This has been accomplished
by linking together those important
agencies, the federal and state courts
the federal government and the state
public schools. The work Of this bu-
reau now stands for more than ma.
turalization, as the term is generally
understood. It represents American
/ ization in its truest sense. It cor.
daily welcomes and brings into the
national family foreign friends full,
E qualified, through public school in
>, struction, for the proud title of citi
zenship.