The daily progressive-miner. [volume] (Ketchikan, Alaska) 1915-1919, 1918-10-09
NATURALIZATION
PROGRAM MOVING
FAST NOW
Great Meetings in Military Camp
Where Aliens Become Ameri-
cans Bring Out Devotion to
The Nations Ideals

the Department Of Labor's naturaliza-
ton work. for within a few months
probably 100000 men, members of the
Nations military forces, have been
given the full rights of citizenship.
and there are now in France perhaps
as many more to De naturalized there.
This mighty task. unique in the his
tory of the Bureau of Naturalization,
has been productive of many inspiring
instances of patriotism on the part of
men who, though of alien birth, have
shown passionate devotion to Ameri-
! cas- ideals.
To illustrate the wholesale manner
in which naturalization is carried on,
at Camp Hancock in one week 1000
men were given the oath; at Camp
Jackson, 1900 at Camp Sheridan, 500
in one day. These are instances typi-
cal OF what is going on all the time in
every camp in the country. At Camp
Lee about 1890 men, all told, have
been naturalized through the war
process. and additions of about 1000
monthly are expected while the draft
calls continue at their present rate.
/ The law was not adopted in time to
reach them all, for the arrangemenr
providing for the naturalization OF
men in the military service was not en-
acted until May 8. By that time
| from 100000 to 100000 men had gone
overseas with the American Expedi-
tionary Forces. It is impossible to es-
innate the number who will be natur-
allied in France, but it is true that in
the Regular voluntary enlistments
many foreigners were received.
The naturalization process went in
to being promptly on the passage of
the law, and small groups of men were
naturalized at Savannah, Ga, as early
as May 16. By May 90, however,
when it was put into general effect,
many Of the camps had been practl-
caliy cleared and the men who had
! been trained in them were already
serving in France.
Preparations are now under way for
! their naturalization there Most OF
them probably will be Americans with
full rights of citizenship before they
reach the firing line
An interesting feature of the natur-
alization work has just developed in
Washington, where, as there are about
Is camps near by, the bureau has
been kept fairly busy. This was the
case CT a young Belgian. who was
wounded in the first campaign of the
war in the fighting about Liege and
| cry After recuperating from the
wounds IN England he came to Ameri-
ca to aid in recruiting.
! The sight of the Statue of Liberty
in New York Harbor gave him the
inspiration to become an American
citizen. He promptly joined the Uni
showed so much ability that he was
given an opportunity to obtain COM
mission in the Quartermaster Corps.
That necessitateI citizenship, and he
had to be naturaliZed right way. He
was naturalized, obtained his commits
sion, end went abroad, all within a
until after he had married his child
hood sweetheart, whom he had found
) again in Washington.
She vas Miss Germaine Stahl, OF
1922 Connecticut Avenue, Now she is
; Mrs. Victor G. NJ Geybels, and her
) young husband, a ieuteant, is serving
in France, rescuing his native land
fro.a the oppressor by his service in
} the Army of the land of his adoption.
Another instance which furnished a
dramatic situation involves young
Roumanian, named Rudynan. He was
) naturalized at Camp Sheridan, whera
ne was a member of the One hundred
and twelfth Trench Mortar Battery.
} This organization had it's origin un-
der peculiar circumstances. Practl-
cally every man in it was of Austro-
) Hungarian nationality; they were all
, aliens, and most of them Serbians or
Roumanians by race.
Rudynan was president of the Rou-
manian Society of East Youngstown,
Ohiee Early in the war this society
held flag raising and patriotic dem
onstration, which eliminated in a
parade and the dedication of church
\ When the parade had ended and the
exercises We're finished Rudynan made
a little speech to his compatriots.
We've had one parade" he said,
That's all very well as far as it goes;
but it didn't go far enough. Now,
want to start another parade that will