Evening star., 1918-05-24
CITIZENSHIP WORK
AMONG D. c. ALIENS
Agencies Here Seek to Amer
icanize $1,000 Foreign
Residents.
METHOD OF PROCEDURE

| In washington, Where there are ap-
proximately $4,000 aliens. every ef-
fort is being made for their proper
instruction and encouragement with
the view to Americanizing them.
There are a number of agencies at
work in the city endeavoring to pre-
pare the foreign residents for future
citizenship. Among the more promi-
nent agencies are the naturalization
bureau. the public schools. the Coun-
Gil of National Defense and the
United States bureau of education.
More or less typical of the work being
done in this connection throughout
the country is the manner in which
| the bureau of naturalization, the pub
lie schools and the Supreme Court OF
the District work together to help the
foreign-born man and woman.
| Method of Procedure.
AS soon as the alien has declared his
| intention of becoming a citizen mis-
| name and address are sent with other
data to the Thomson Night Schoo, at
| 18th and l. streets where all the for
| eign classes are now assembled. At
| the same time a letter is sent to him
advising him to 20 20 night school to
! learn how to be Il citizen; the letter is
stamped with the name and location
of the Thomson School aad the name
of the principal. Wherever it is POS
sible a personal letter is written by
teacher at the school urging his at
tendance
After the required two years have
elapsed the student is called before
Supreme Court judges presides. An
agent Of the naturalization bureau is
present, who has informed himself, as
far as possible, about the mans char
acter The agent and the judge to-
gether put a series Of questions to
him in order to determine what his
knowledge is, whether it is parrot
like or genuine. and what his attitude
is toward this country-in other
wordk whether he is apt to make
his questioners the case may be dis
missed-if he is evidently an unde-
sirable-or continued. with instruc-
tions to study further. In the latter
case his name is sent again to the
school. so it may get in touch with
terested is that these three agencies
are whole-heartedly devoted to the
making of citizens.
Lack of Vote Deters.
1t is true that there Is a certain
inertia to overcome in Washington
regarding naturalizing foreigners.
from the fact that there is not the
inducement of a vote to offer. That
this is significant is evident in New
| York and other large cities. where
there is a close connection between
desire for citizenship and the vote.
| This is shown by the great number
of women who have applied for citi-
zenship since women were given the
suffrage in New York.
! In handling the alien question here
| those who have been identified with
mite conclusions.
| According 10 Mrs. Marguerite
| Spaulding Gerry, member of the board
| of education, who is prominently iden-
tilted with the Americanization work.
| this work cannot proceed successfully
save where there is human, friendly
| neighborly association.
we need humanity, humanity, and
then more humanity" she says. "One
enthusiastic new-made citizen is a
| better press agent than the most ex-
pensive news bureau.
THE second conviction is that this
Americanization movement will be
! fully successful only when the for
eigners themselves have made it their
movement Where there are to be
community forums. civic associations
Iof any kind among them, they must
have come in response to the demands
I, of the foreign-born Many have been
| the deaths in other cities of ready
made civic associations thrust upon
the foreign element from above.
Membership Doubled.
| There are signs among foreigners
here of this birth Of the civic idea.
Organizations have been formed that
; are the outgrowth of their own de-
sire. Such an organization has more
than doubled it's membership at each
evidence of the democratic spirit in
!, It is that its elected president refused
| to appoint his committee, but insisted
that those members also should be
+; elected.
What we are hoping for the flu
tture," Mrs. Gerry continued, lis every
where the close cooperation among
! federal, state and local agencies by
which alone the naturalization
process. We hope, also, for laws that
will make an education in English
and civics compulsory for all adults.
For our own schools in Washington
+ we are hoping soon to have classes,
rot alone in the evening, but at any
| hour when any foreigner finds it pos
sible to attend; instead of foreign
night schools we hope to have a de-
rartment of foreign instruction. Yet
all this will hardly touch education
| ally the foreign woman. For her we
need visiting teachers who can organ
/ ize and teach classes among the wives
and mothers who, by reason of FAM
lily cares are not able to come to the
| school. We believe that all this will
come"
I