Omaha daily bee., 1917-06-12
War and the Alien
BIZ Frederic j. Hdsktn

Washington June o.-This war has brought
| forth convincing and even spectacular evidence
that among the aliens who live in the United
States there is surprisingly large amount of the
kind OF patriotism that leads man to offer his
| life for his country. And back OF these Demon
strations Of loyalty lies the large fact that
| naturalization in this country is proceeding about
three times more rapidly than it ever did before;
while immigration is almost nil, and will probably
remain SO for some years after the war. Mean
time, citizenship schools have been established in
l,70O communities and the Department OF Labor
is getting ready to publish free text book for
the use OF aliens who want to learn to speak
English and become citizens.
In the last year, the number OF declarations
made monthly has increased from l945l average
for three months of 1870 to S9,0ll (average for
three months Of this Year,. There are some H.
100000 aliens in the United States, and Raymond
r. Crlst, deputy commissioner of naturalization,
estimates that these will soon be making them
selves citizens at the rate of million a year.
Incidentally they will be learning to read, find
ing out about the resources and opportunities Of
this country, getting out Of their foreign quarters
and sections, weaving themselves into the fabric
OF the nations social and industrial life
This sudden boom in the naturalization busi-
ness only started last February. In January there
were l4,l5l declarations Of the intention to be-
come citizens, and in February there were 49,
s83 The rate took new impulse from the dec
laration OF war, and has steadily increased. OF
course there is good deal Of compulsion back
ing their alien employees with discharge unless
they become citizens. Others are paying them
half time--in some cases full time-for attending
the classes in citizenship. Others are motivated
by the consideration that aliens may not live
within half mile of arsenals and various other
government works. Then, too, the situation OF
an enemy alien is unpleasant wherever he lives
But more potent than any of these seems to
be the desire OF the intelligent alien to demon
strate his loyalty to his adopted country to
identity himself with its interests The natural
born American is nearly always proud to call
himself patriotic. But the chances are that no
man knows better what "Patria" means that the
poor peasant who leaves the land where he was
born-a land which holds him by thousand
bonds-and goes out to seek land Of greater op-
portunity It is no visit or excursion. He sinks
his all and knows he is going never to return
For years he struggles along in poverty, unable
even to learn the language of the great new
country. For years he is literally man without
a country, Whatever fatherland may mean to a
man he learns by the bitter experience of having
lacked it.
And when the American words begin to come
and the American dollars and he sees his children
growing up as Americans this man has great
and earnest desire to become an American, to
prove, with his blood if need be, that he is an
American. He is far less apt to question the
cause argue the ethics of war than the natural
born citizen. For him war is the chance to prove
himself
Mr.. Crist, who has helped thousands of aliens
to become citizens firmly believes that to the |
more intelligent of the foreign born the ideals of
citizenship and patriotism are real and vivid emo
tons He cites as proof city election in Pitts
burgh, which was analyzed to determine whether |
or not the foreign born voted. 1t was found that |
81 per cent Of them did so and in fact they were |
a deciding factor in the election. Seven promi- |
nent busneG men were asked how they had voted |
None OF them had voted at all. Next eighty of |
the ctys preachers were canvassed. 1t was found |
that but twelve of them had registered and only |
six of these had voted.
Mr.. Crist has taken occasion to catechise
many aliens of all nationalities as to their rea-
sons for desiring citizenship. If the subject has
property he nearly always gives that as a reason
for wishing citizenship. To get the alien onto
the land is surest way to make an American of
him.
MY children are growing up Americans, 60
ing to American schools" is nearly always an
other reason Give man any creative interest
in the new country and he Graves to call it his
own. Many are denied the creative interest of
property, however small, but children fill the
need of most OF these.
The land where you were born, are you ready to
light for the United States% is one of the ques-
ions that was put to thousands. And almost
always the answer was convincing affirmative