The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-01-28
As to AmeriCaniZatiOn
(From the Catholic Transcrript)

The Bridgeport Times Farmer takes exception to Governor Hol- combs views on Americanization. The language employed by our contem- porary affords 8 shining example of the freedom of speech enjoyed by the
 publicists of this country. The Times Farmer declares that His Excellency,
 in discussing the AmericaniZation problem, mingles truth and error in
 unequal proportions"
 According to the Bridgeport jour
 nal. the Governor of Connecticut
 makes Americanization to consist
 principally in ''the will to make the
 foreigner a citizen The Times Far mer amens MT. Holcomb's contention,
 and so dispor2s of what should be the
 great point q issue.
 It is in recommending the means that Governor Holcomb lapses from
 Truth to Error" His Excel
 lency. if We are able to follow the
 reasoning of the Times Farmer,
 while insisting on naturalization,
 would make his naturalization law Ion
 the theory of keeping the foreigner
 out" The journal, on the contrary,
 would champion a law, founded on
 the theory of letting the stranger
 in.
 Both the Governor and the Times
 Farmer make naturalization the be- all and the end-au of Americaniza-
 tion Writing under correction, it seems 10 us that the Times-Farmer makes AmericanizatiOn so difficult as to be impossible. Behold the Utopia. - If there is to be q. whole sale America nization of aliens. the standardization laws must be improv- ed" That is, in tha thecry of the Times Farmer, those laws must be , made easier and more elastic. But behold. the Farmer. speaking of the prospective citizen, immediate " adds
 ''Is . man the man he says he is? Is he honest, industrious, a good cit izen within the meaning of the word? Does he go to Church? Has he built himself a home; is he rear
 ing children. and sending them to school2"
 We take it that an alien must pass on the above points, the Bridgeport nles-FaTr1er being judge, if he is to receive his diploma for Americaniza-
 ton. The test strikes Us as both strange and difficult indeed as to be- come drastic and prohibitive. and i that too, although the TimeS-Farmer 1 is advocating an easy way to citizen 1 ship.
 Let us take up the items, or points, ! one by one:-1. "Is q man the man l he says he is?" That means, we as l sume. that the individual in question | is not acting under :a assumed name, l that he is m reality John Doe as he ! claims 10 be, and not William CroS.
 That point is fundamental, and 1 should be insisted upon by American 1 izers of every school.
 l 2. "Is he honest" Here is a
 moral qualification very difficult, not ! to say impossible, to establish. How ever. on the principle that all men ! are assumed to be honest till they 1 are proved dishonest, a just and un- i known alien may presume to present l himself before the tribunal of Amer I icanization. In any other supposltlon, i he would have to wait and become ! the observed of observers before he could presume to invite the neighbor- hood to come and testify to his hon I esty. i ,. "Ts h. industrious The word i has 9 Very broad acceptauon. An ln- 1 dustrious man may be one that works hard and pu-s his earnings to ju- 1 dtcious use. His neighbor may work , just as hard. and spend his money l.uwisaIv. Could both be called in l dustrious- in the sense implied by the 1 Time Former? Would the financial