Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-09-28
JUDGE MOSS MAKES
NEW CITIZENS At
BIG CANTONMENT
Over One Thousand Admitted To
Citizenship At Camp Meade Yes
terday. Impressive Ceremony
MANY MEN HAD THEIR
NAMES AMERICANIZED
General Carter Congratulates
New Citizens. Many Russians
And Poles Among Them

With the assistance OF Judge Robert
Moss, of Annapolis, many of the SOL
diers at Camp Meade, who used to
have surnames containing most of the
letters of the alphabet, had their
handles" Americanized yesterday.
These soldiers were among the
more than 1000 men who were nat
uralized citizens of this country and
who took the oath of allegiance to the
land, for which they will fight Most
of the men who had their names
shortened were Russians who found
ii hard to tote their original names
around with them and who were just
as eager to become Americanized in
one way as they were in the other
Judge Moss presided at the curtail-
ment of the names and the much more
impressive ceremonies of naturaliza-
tion. Each man took an individual
oath of allegiance, this part of the
ceremony lasting from early morning
until 4:30 o'clock in the afternoon.
AT that hour the formal exercises
in honor of the new citizens took
place. The One Hundred and Fifty
fourth Depot Brigade Band came to
the main Young Mems Christian As
sociation Hall. in which the naturali-
zation took place, and gave a concert
Major-General Carter commander
of the division, left his busy desk to
congratulate the new citizens and tell
them of the Importance of the step
they had taken. citizenship has tre-
mendous responsibilities" said the
General, "and you must realize them.
You are going abroad to fight for your
adopted country. You will be proud
to fight for it, and you will honor it
and honor yourselves. But remember
that a country which is worth fight
ing for is worth knowing-that when
you become civilians again you will
discriminate at the pollsA-that you
will vote for such men and such
things as will help advance the inter-
ests of your country.
1T is the duty of all of you to be
as loyal to that country in time of
peace by voting for high ideals and
high principles as it will be your duty
to fight on the field of battle for the
maintenance of those principles and
those ideals. You cannot risk such
duties in time of peace as you cannot
shirk them in time of war"
Judge Moss told the men that they
would seal their pledge of allegiance
by their valor upon the field of bat
tie. when you come back here"
said the Judge, you will carry the
American flag as the symbol that you
have kept the faith. That flag will
show that you have made not only
yourselves free but the whole world
free-that you have guaranteed last
ing peace and safety and liberty to all
mankind"
The men gave a great cheer when
the Judge said this. Then spontane-
ously they lifted up three cheers for
their commanding general The band
played "The Star-Spangled Banner"
and everybody came to attention. Out
side the hall two bands were playing
for regimental parades. One was play
ing 1.-The Stars and Stripes Forever"
and the other "over There" 1t was
a fitting climax for such ceremony
Many nationalities were represent
ed. There was an Abyssinian who
foreswore his allegiance TO Ii j Eyas-
su. King of Kings of Ethiopia
Good music and speaking at the
State House tonight.