The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-12-06
WHAT THE BUREAU OF NATURAL.
IZATION is DOING

With the coming of peace, the Blu
reau of Naturalization of the U. S. De-
ma ctment of Labor is charged with
continuing the work, which the war
has shown to have been already so
we'll established, of cementing the
many races and peoples represented
in this countrys population into one
homogeneous nation. The achievement
of national unity, involving the ASST
initiation of 17,5O0,OO0 alien born re-
sldents of this country, is the peculiar
task of this bureau, which is begin
ming this season the greatest cam
paign in it's history to effect its aims
Realization of the ideal Of America
as the melting pot in which the peo-
pies of many lands are fused into
new and characteristic national type
is the purpose of this bureaus Amer
icanization work. Last May, Congress
passed a law to AmericaniEe every
man and woman of foreign birth in
this country, and it chose the Bureau
of Naturalization to have charge OF
the citizenship training which will be
carried on through the public schools
Foreigners are becoming citizens by
hundreds of thousands every year, and
the war has done much to promote IN
terest in America among the aliens
living here. There are still, however,
many difficulties in the way of sue
cessful accomplishment of the great
plan to make every inhabitant of this
country American in thought, word,
and action.
For example, there are 100000 for
eigners in New York City who can not
read, write, or speak English. Pro-
badly 100 languages and dialects are
spoken here. There are between ten
and twelve million persons in this
country who owe allegiance to other
nations. In no other country in the
world is there so great a percentage
of aliens.
The Bureau of Naturalization is
more closely in touch with the foreign
born than any other government or
ganization. Through its naturalization
examiners, it has gained acquaintance
with about three million immigrants,
and during the last four years the
schools have begun their great work
of instructing the millions of others
in the essentials of American citizen
ship.
This great educational work is 60
ing on in nearly 1000 communities,
the home cities of millions of immi-
grants. Hundreds of thousands OF
these have taken out their first pa
pers, and the bureau has prevailed
upon the school authorities wherever
these candidates live to open evening
classes in which first-paper men and
their wives may be taught what they
ought to know about the American
government.
The first thing taught is the Eng
lish anguage-conservatl reading,
and writing. Every foreigner is am
bilious to be told that he speaks Eng
lish like an American. The Govern
ment sends an urgent appeal to every
applicant for citizenship, asking him
TO go TO an evening class in the pub
lie schools of his city. 1t also fur
nishes free textbooks to these men
and women, and will recognize the
work OF the public schools in a certi-
foate Of graduation, presented jointly
by the Government and the schools to
foreigners when they come into Amer
lean citizenship.
Thus far, the surface has been bare
ly scratched, for less than two per
cent of the aliens In this country have
applied for citizenship instruction.
The Naturalization OF tho other 9s