South Bend news-times., 1918-10-04
UNCLE SAM WILL
AID IMMIGRANTS
Bureaus of Information viii
be Established Near For
eign Populations.

Uncle Sam is now going TO fur
nish information bureaus for his
nephews and nieces.
Primarily. these bureaus will be
for nephews and nieces by adoption.
for they are intended as a part Of
the great scheme Of Americaniza- e.
ton now being worked out for the
aliens living in America. 10 provide
first aid for immigrants in any Of
the thousand and one crises OF life
in a strange land.
It is unfortunately true that
feeling has prevailed among GER
tain classes in the past that immi-
grants exist solely TO be exploited
and deceived. The ignorance Of
American customs so general among
those in foreign quarters, their
tendency to trust strangers, and the
readiness of sharpers to prey upon
them. all combine to make their lot
anything but pleasant until they
have learned through long and
costly experience.
Some Of the immigrants have
relatives in America and proba bly,
most Of them have friends here
large numbers are aided by such
organizations as the Hebrew Shell
tering Aid association and others
with the same aims. But with all
that friends and charity can do, the
immigrant at times has a hard time
in America, and to save him some
Of the more painful and expensive
experiences the United States gov
ernment is establishing bureaus
throughout the country where the
worst of his troubles can be settled
In many stores OF shady reputa-
ton 1t is the regular practice TO
overcharge the immigrant. Law
yers of the shyster class charge him
exorbitant fees for little or no SER
vice. and runners" exploit him
wherever possible. Fly-by-night
bankers" open establishments in
foreign quarters. where they offer
10 send remittances home to the
families of men working here. Some
Of them never send anything back
at all; large numbers charge from
twice TO ten times what the service
would cost If the immigrant knew
where to go.
Even in the event Of sickness and
death the immigrant is exploited, If
he is so unfortunate as to find an
unscrupulous physician or under
taker. 1t is too often the rule that
native-born citizens pay little atten-
tion TO the desires and needs Of the
immigrant, and the consequence is
that he frequently becomes much
disappointed with his career in
America.
To remedy this whole situation is
the aim Of the commissioner of
naturalization. whose bureau is a
part of the department of labor. To
show Americans their responsibility
to the foreign born, and to show i'm
migrants how they can become not
only Americans in legal form but
thoroughly imbued with the spirit
OF Americanism, is the aim Of the
information service planned for the
various cities.
Posters, moving pictures, the
press, in fact every avenue through
which the immigrant can be ap-
preached, will be utilized to reach
him. He will be taught. in his own
language and in English alike, that
the United States wants to help
him; that he has only TO make his
wants known 20 be assured Of aid.
The information offices will help
immigrants in bringing their families
10 America, in recovering money OF
which they are robbed through
fraud. and in other ways assisting
- l., -
and profitable. Immigrants will be
encouraged TO ask questions when
ever they are in doubt about their
course OF conduct or when emer-
gencies arise.