New Britain herald., 1919-01-25
y31tcn for The Herald by Francis 2.
'4Fk9' Brien. Director Of Americana
NH izatiOn Work.)

81 Foreign CTS" ought to become citizens
or else get out Of the country. it is
safe wager that YOU can ON barTass
such person quite uncomfortable by
addressing to him the simpl" uucs-
ton, "Just what have YOU done to
help in promoting thoir citizenship ?'
The fact is that those persons who
have GiVcn the most careful thought
to tho subject and the situation are
the least 1ikeIN to voice such cOnchl-
sive and inclusive statements It NAV
be observed furthermore that. grant
ing tho urgency and importance Of
their preparing for and acquiring Of
citizenship, still one may ask how
much We have in tho past hOnored or
recognized or personally approved their
citizenship status after it had been
alously-sometime laboriousIv and
ensiVcly-socured? Is there anv
compelling or manifest reason, from
tho athens Viewpoint, for soe1zino
citizenship if he gets along as vol
without it and finds that his status
among Americans is in no wav i'm
proved by its possession?
Strangely enough those norso,,,,
who believe in or who preach the doc
trine Of exclusion fail TO take into
account that they are only dodeine
the problem, not solving it, They arc
perhaps the same persons who also
bcneVe in other general forms Of
compuISlOn as an appropriate method
of procedure. There are so many
mllnOnS Of people in this country
who are ever ready to enact laws and
use fOrce-hOweVer ineffective-that'
our haste in legislation has become
n sort of ObseSSiOn for any and all
social ills. The situation plainly sug-
geStS an endeaVOr on the part of many
of us to seek a short cut remedy and
thereby escape personal responsibility
for working a general Improvement.
such as laws alone will not accom-
pllsh. Roosevelt bore testimony to
his genuine Americanism when he
said, Legislation and the enforcement
of law are necessary, but they must
ever be regarded as Of secondary i'm
pOrtance in comparison with the
character of the individual citizen
II must be borne in mind that dur
ing the past two years a general and
hearty response has not been lacking
on the part Of the citizens and non
citizens Of this country in any enter
prise whose purpose and need were
carefully explained to them. The
time and expense Of such accomplish
ment was tremendous beyond esti-
mate. The number of people so en-
gagged was amazing. But who will
say that the effort and the cost was
not eminently worth while, when we
regard the unified support secured for
our army selection for Liberty loans,
thrift drives food conservation, the
Red Cross and the promotion of COM
n
such splendid precedents to direct our
efforts to deE2cy ~@tic methods of sue
cess there are those sitting in high
places who ignore what the facts
teach so eloquentIy, and say let us
'legislate all aliens into evening
school and into citizenship.
If you are factory employer and
I am an alien, YOU may persuade me
to seek citizenship, inspired by worthy
aspirations, not driven by fear or COM
pulsion. Secretary Lane has APPLY
said that it is our way of looking at
things that makes us Americans. Then
YOU may impress me with the idea
that you regard the certificate Of
citizenship as recommendation of
character, as q badge of honor, as a
proof of purpose and industry on my
part. and as q bill of moral and civic
health. If you regard it thus, ! shall
regard it in a similar manner. If,
when I ask for job YOU ask me how
long I have been in this country and
whether [ am q citizen, you need not
doubt that | shall be impressed by
your questions, especially if | do not
secure employment And still more
shall I be impressed if at a second
and a third employment office, I am
Il
why should it not be done? IT is
certainly your right as an employer
to know such facts and to select
workers accordingly. Thcn shall I
find out in a definite way that I can
not get along just as well and COM
fOrtahly without assuming any of the
responsibility of being an American.
OF course, l may be employed at this
time, but still there is every reason
why your foreman may address queS-
tons to me regarding my status as
a resident and worker in this city and
in your factory. And why should you
not expect the paymaster, the welfare
man, the factory nurse, and similar
agents in your employ to express q
like inquiry at each and every time
that the occasion is offered for doing
so? This plan is merely making eff
foctive use Of the laws of suggestion,
and has real advantage over the
use Of bonus or of salary increase to
secure the same results.
If YOU are a merchant in the city,
and l am selling fruit or garden
truck, you may and very properly
should ask me the location of my
farm, and then regarding my citizen
ship. DO you do that now? | shall
soon come to feel proud to say Yes
and sensitive about saying mo" Per
haps [ wish to buy some hardware
or a suit Of clothes and you are asked
to accept or cash a check. There is