Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-15
THE ALIEN AGAIN
Bill Is Before Congress Make Him Citizen If He EnlSS
By Frederic j. HaSkin

VT7AsHINGToN, D. c., Jan. 11.-since the war.
wv the records of the United States bureau of
naturalization have shown fluctuations
worthy of Wall street. They have risen and
dropped with each rumor. Talk of the
deportation of aliens brought avalanche OF ap-
pcants to the courts to procure their first papers,
while the news that foreign powers were thinking
of sending recruiting agents to this country for
the purpose of modifying wandering SUBJECTS
brought even greater numbers. Then there was
a drop. Our aliens recently learned that these
first papers make them eligible for the draft
So far the recruiting officers and the deporta-
ton have not materialized, and American citizen
ship does not appear to offer the advantages IT
once did. The alien in this country is safe-about
safe as it is possible for any one to be In a
world at war. From the national point OF view
this is a serious matter. One-third of our popula-
ton is foreign-born, one person in every ten an
alien. In other words, it is really of Ameri-
citizens going to war to protect foreign sub
jects
On the other hand, under the present naturali-
Zation laws military service inthiS country is any
thing but fair the alien. He may be drafted into
the army if he has declared his intention to be-
come American citizen, but he cannot obtain a
commission until two years after his first papers
have been filed and he actually becomes citizen
Under these circumstances, the alien certainly is
not to blame If he does not precisely relish the idea
of entering the American army.
Legislation is now pending in congress for the
amendment of the naturalization laws that any
alien who enters the American army may at once
become American citizen, the argument being
that if man is willing to offer his life for coun-
try he deserves all of its privileges AS soon as
this amendment is passed, representatives of the
bureau of naturalization will be sent to all the
training camps to instruct alien soldiers in few
facts concerning American political institutions.
Then they will be taken to the nearest naturaliza
ton court and be made American citizens
This will permit foreign born soldiers to obtain
commissions when they deserve them, and doubt
rfpr in Arpo aifi-
zenship. Meantime the bureau of naturalization
is conducting a nationwide campaign to this end.
Chambers of commerce, women's clubs, employees,
school authorities all over the country are CO.
operating with the government in persuadng aliens
to become citizens. 1t is a war measure.
The war has shown the menace of such a large
foreign population ours The government has
no way of keeping track of the alien, unless by
suspicious conduct he has succeeded in attracting
the attention of the secret service He comes here
to his living, but that is all. He does not
assimilate; he has not had the advantages OF
American public schools and he is slow to relin-
Quish the customs and tradiNons of the country
which bred him.
This is not particularly reprehensible in itself
The Italian, for example, if he prefers italian
an American environment is no more to be con-
demned than the American of the American set
Element in China who refuses to accept the Chinese
customs. But in time of war when loyalty is an
absolute necessity, large population Of foreign
ers, ignorant of and Indifferent to American ira
ulClOnS constitutes, as mas Deen Salds menace.
They form too fertile a ground for the enemy's
propaganda.
In describing this aspect of the situation, Mr.
R. r. Crist, of the bureau of naturalization said:
There are foreign colonies in this country where
a German spy would be safe as if he were in
Berlin" 1t is not that aliens deliberately dis
loyal much that they ignorant to the
point of illiteracy and hence susceptible to bad
influences The many mysterious fires occurring
in munition factories in various parts of the coun
try assigned by certain government officials to
these circumstances.
Thus the government is beginning to realize
as never before that if America is going to main
tain it's usual open-door policy to all classes of
European immigrants it has got to educate them
after they come here. For long time, there was
way in which the government could come into