Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-21
PROBLEMS THAT
CONFRONT ALIENS
Some Of the Legal Difficulties to
Citizenship and How They
Are Overcome

tlrst, how ~ know whether Won arc
an American cItIzen or not second, hoa
to acquire Amcrican citizenship II yon
have Il mot were the two points hlridlv
discussed bv Miss Elizabeth I Read i
member Of the New York bar, NJ the
Amcrcanization Institute last night
Tonight Miss Read will explain the legal
status of aliens IN this country. and also
the citizenship laws Of other countries a
they affect this country
Miss Read was introduced hv William
i Kurt 4 Wilmington attorney There
We're Il number Of eity lawyers present
american citizenship Is acquired by
birth on Amcrifan soil, whatever the
father 5 nationality hy birth on foreign
soil provided the father Is an American
citizen III the case Of 4 woman, bv m4rr-
rage with an american citizen, and bv
naturalization. said Miss Read
4 hildren nf foreign diplomats born
in TIN, country re an exception to ti4..
rule Of birth on American soil giving
citizenship Ilegltmate children born IN
q foreign country of American fathers
are not tmerlcan citizens. married
woman citizenship Is the same a. her
husband and changes whenever has
changes, this being true until de4lii ar
an absolute divorce dlssotveo the married
relation said Hiss Read
\ single woman or widow can taAe
out naturalization paper the sailIe Is a
man, she continued Z hlldfen ol Ancri-
can fathers, born abroad have i double
allegiance At , wears old. they can
decide whether they will accept the
citizenship Of the coun ~ IN which they
were born, or accept their American
citizenship II stll hoad thay must
make this known t. the American consul,
but in america they have nothing to do
To become American citizens automatically
Foreign born children whose fathers.
though American citizens, lave never
lived IN America, iave uat the privilege
ol American citizenship
tFIrst papers, or declaration OF intention
To become American eitizelsInay he taken
out the. day ali alien I.tn,ls upon eur
shores Second papers. the petition to
be admitted rs citizens. cannot Toe fled
until two years have gone hy III.
petition includes the name OF the appli-
cant and Of two witnesses The f.nal
papers and oath Of allegiance require
five years, cont nnal residence In Amer-
ica, the speaking Of English. Some knowl-
edge al american government and fnstt-
tuiions and testimony Of tWe witnesses
rs 10 character
Miss Read said common sense GOV
crncd he H-t tcrn interpretation 81 natur-
alizaton laws Rhode Island She
~tlh once naturaizcd = nan because.
he knew how to make castii, soap fhat
made hnn a very desirable citizen IN hat
colony Just then, but laws are more com
plcX nov
Miss Read thought the peace ireatles
would make number Of changes III
naturalization laws and the legal status
of aliens III his country
She sad many aliens fail to take on
their final naturalization papers because
Of unfortunate mechanical difficulties
They have to lose from one to four DAYS
from t cir work, and pay their two Wit
ness, also III going to court, they have
not had time to learn much English
they have difficulty in their tr.,nsitory
ios $ III finding witne S 5 Who have known
them five years She thought these laws
should he changed
Also, the fst and second papers give
the allCn NEST Of the practical privileges
he needs IN this country, and he does not
keenly feel the need Of the final sten