The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1918-12-05
THE GREAT .MELrINe POT.

With the coming of peace, the Blu
reau of Naturalization of the U. S.
Department OF Labor is charged with
continuing the work, which the war
has shown to have been already so
well established, of cementing the
many races and peoples represented
in this country's population into one
homogeneous nation. The achievement
of the national unity, involving the as
similation of 17,500,000 alien born
residents of this country, is the pecu-
liar task of this bureau, which is be-
ginning this season the greatest cam
paign in its history to effect its aims.
Realization of the ideal Of America
as the melting pot sin which the peo-
pies of many lands are fused into a
new and characteristic national type
is the purpose of this bureaus Amer
icanization work. Last May, congress
passed law to AmericaniZe every
man and woman of foreign birth in
this country and it chose the Bureau
of Naturalization to have charge OF
the citizenship training which will be
carried on through the public schools.
Foreigners are becoming citizens by
hundreds of thousands every year, and
the war has done much to promote
interest in America among the aliens
living here. There are still, however,
many difficulties in the way of sue
cessful. accomplishment of, the great
plan to make every .inhabitant of this
country American in thought world,
and action. 49,.
For example, there are 100000 for
eigners in New York City who can not
read write or speak English. Probably
100 languages and dialects are spoken
here. There are between ten and
twelve million persons in this country
who owe allegiance TO other nations.
In no other country in the world is
there so great a percentage of aliens.
The Bun eau Of Naturalization is
more closely in touch with the for
eign born than any other government
organization. Through its ,naturaliza,
lion examiners, it has gained acQuaint'
ance with about three million, immi-
grants, and during the last four years
the schools have begun their great
work of instructing the millions OF
others in the essentials of American
citizenship. go .s'
This great educational work IS going
on in nearly 1000 communities, the
home cities of millions of immigrants
| Hundreds of thousands of these have
taken out their first papers, and the
bureau has prevailed upon the school
authorities wherever these candidates
| live to open evening classes in which
frst-paper men and their wives may
| be taught what they ought to know
about the American government.
" The first thing taught is the English
languag ACCOMMODATION, reading and
writing. Every foreigner is ambitious
to be told that he speaks English like
an American. The government sends
an appeal to every applicant for citi
zenship, asking him to go to an even
ing class in the public schools of this
city. 1t also furnishes free textbooks
to these men and women, and vii!
recognize the work of the public
schools in a certificate of graduation
presented jointly by the government
and the schools to foreigners when
they come into American citizenship.
Thus far, the surface has been
4 barely scratched, for less than" two
percent of the aliens in this country
have applied for citizenship instruct
ion. The differentiation of the other
SO percent is the almost herculean
task the Bureau of Naturalization
faces. The aid of every resident oil
the community must be enlisted in