Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-01-15

personal contact with the immigrant, but now,
through the offices of the bureau OF naturalization,
it is possible to follow the history of the alien
who takes out his first papers.
The procedure is like this: On the first work
ing 0ay OF every mOnCn the Naturalization courts
over the country SeEd uupncate
copies oil the appnCdIiUns Tor citizenship Ined by
aliens during the preceuIns mouth. lnese appll-
cations contain ali possible Information concern
ing eacn AMEN, even 10 ana weight, the
OF ms eyes naIr. In the omces OF the
bureau TINS Information transferred Iargs
lndex card and maned to the puDnc scnool OF the
district in wnlcn the man Is a reSIuent. Then q
letter is mailed TO the wife, i ne has one.
explaining to her advantages OF attending night
ScnOOl
Meantime, the card is received by the puDnc
school, which Immediately dispatches a truant OFF,
Ger to the address OF the applicant to persuade him
to come to school. Eleven hundred
now maintaining night classes for adults, and the
number is constantly increasing.
In this way thousands of aliens being edu-
Gated who would otherwise always remain hope
lessy illiterate The great pity is that many more
schools have not enlisted this campaign for
characterization. In several states laws prohibit
the expenditure of public school funds for the
education of adults; in others there is a lack OF
funds to expend; in still others there is d lack of
enthusiasm on the part OF, the general public in
the education of aliens, and occasionally the
aliens themselves fail to appreciate its benefits.
In one place, moreover, where the public
for adult aliens, in spite of a large local alien
population, the bureau of naturalization discovered
an interesting coincidence An attorney of local
lame was adding to his income with great celebrity
by drilling aliens certain matters a slight
knowledge of which required by the naturali-
cation court before it granted petitions. The idea
was to make them American citizens with little
knowledge as possible.
Apparently, this is the ambition in many quar-
tiers, judging by the number of aliens who fail to
have their petitions granted every year. Last year
over thirteen hundred denied because of
ignorance of American institutions while the
year before nearly fifteen hundred suffered from
the same cause.
The benefits of even little education to the
aliens themselves are obvious, but they are
limited to them alone. The town in which they
live is benefited, the industry in which they are
engaged is benefited, the United States govern
ment is benefited In realization of this, many
manufacturers now urging their employees
attend these night classes and paying them
for the time.
From the aliens numerous testimonials Of graft
tude for the educational opportunities put at their
disposal have come to the bureau. One man writes:
81 am working for my living since fourteen years
boy, for very small money and long hours. So
you advise very good and kind to me; never heard
before that would have said that there's
chance to get more money or better job"
Another says: 81 received it, your letter, and
was glad that you give some people chance to
I'VE III country Lnat We are not AFRAID. AS have
got my ftrst papers, want to get my full papers,
if You will send me book to let me know how to
get my second paper 1 will be glad for the United
States flag
These are in answer to the bureaus circular
letter, urging them to attend night school Not all
Of the letters are quite naive the above how
for of course not all of the aliens who choose
to become American citizens uneducated.
The war has brought about more intense
appreciation of alien problem. 1t is realized
that if the alien is to be Amercanzed he is eligible
not only to the responsibilities of citizenship but to
its privileges, among which such things as a
public school education and a commission in the !,
army when he earns it. American citizenship has
got to reach fixed standard of value to the alien
and cease fuctuating with each turn of the war
compass.