Williston graphic., 1918-05-23
Naturalization Laws Changed

A>oNuIluZdtlOu LAWS SU0US1u
A bill making number Of far
reaching amendments to the natural
lzatlon laws was passed last week by
the House and Senate and approved
on Saturday by the President. Under
the terms of this new act, American
citizenship will be conferred almost
Immediately upon approximately one
hundred and thirty thousand aliens
now in the National Army. In addi-
ton, many thousands of aliens in
civil life will be given citizenship.
Through neglect or ignorance Of the
old naturalization law, many aliens
no wclassified as "enemy aliens" fail
ed to complete applications before
the United States courts closed the
doors to further proceedings under
that law. Under the new act, those
who meet the tests of the government
will be permitted to acquire their
citizenship papers.
Custom Borglum Criticises Aaircraft
Board
Custom Borglum, who under au-
thority given him by President Will
son, recently made personal invcs-
tlgation of the work of the Aircraft
Production Board, of which Howard
E. Coffin of the Hudson Motor Com
pany is chairman, and who, in his re-
port OF Investigations, openly charg-
ed gross and criminal conduct on the
part Of the Aircraft Production Board
and its agents in the expenditure of
public funds appropriated for aero
plane construction, was born in Idaho
and is of Danish descent. Custom
Borglum is an interesting Cosmopoli-
tan character and a man of many ac-
complishments. In addition to being
a very successful business man, he is
distinguished speaker and writer
we'll known inventor, an expert
aeroplane engineer, and is recognized
throughout the country as one OF
Americas best sculptors. His marbl.
bust of Lincoln, which was presented
by Eugene Meyer, Jr. of New Yorl
City to the Congress of the United
States and which has been given -:
place in the rotunda of the nation
capitol, is considered by many artist
to be the best and most forceful ex
preston of Lincoln's character as
great leader and lover of mankin'
that has been produced by an,
sculptor in this country. Those whom
Borglum has charged with bein
guilty of delaying American aero
plane production the past year hav
brought about counter charges agains
Borglum to the effect that while h
was making his Investigations of tn
work of the Aircraft Productio
Board, he was personally intereste
in the promotion of a company fo
the manufacture of aeroplanes to b
| sold the United States government
The Senate Committee on Militar
Affairs promises to make thoroug
investigation into how the appropria
tions, amounting to approximately
one billion dollars, for aeronautic
have been expended since the begin
ming of the war. The President ha'
authorized the Attorney General t.
carry on full investigation of the
subject and particularly of the charg'
es made by Gutsom Borglum. Hon
Charles E. Hughes, former Associate
Justice of the Supreme Court and
Republican candidate for President IN
1916, has been secured by Attorney
General Gregory to assist in the in
vestigation.
Business of St. Paul Land Bank
For April
The Federal Farm Loan Board ad-
vises me that during the month OF
April the Federal Land Bank at st.
Paul completed and closed up the
making of 1889 farm loans for
amounts totalling $2,870,300.0O. OF
these loans, 724 were made in North
Dakota. The total amount of loans
closed in North Dakota during April
was S1,83O,1OOOO. New loans ap-
piled for in the St. Paul district dur
ing April numbered 258: The mum,
ber of loans approved during April
was 233. The total amount OF the
loans made and closed up in North
Dakota since the organization of the
Farm Land Bank at St. Paul last year
up to April 80, 1918 was $7,894, 10000.
All this evidences very clearly the
need for and the success of the Fed
eral Farm Loan System in the North
west and particularly in North Da-
kota. When the present system IS
snpplemented and strengthened by
the enactment of legislation for per-
sonal rural credit system to take care
of short time loans needed by farm
ers to efficiently carry on their busi-
ness. the whole complex problem of
rural credits will be near satl5fac-
tory solution
Aid for Development of Ignite
Coal Industry
On the return next week to Wash
;ngton of Representative Foster, of
illinois, Chairman of the House Com
mittee on Mines and Mining, hear
ing before his Committee will be held
on the bill I have before Congress,
S~%V NJ