Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-11-14

ON the bench. VINO was speaking Slowly -
veil modulated tones. At times his voice
sreiled along in even speech, but at inter-
v,ls the fire Of enthusiasm lit his face and
he impressed his points with closed hands'
tanning on the rostrum to lend emphasis to
liS speech.
His auditors were Enthusiastically men
from, many lands. Here was q swarthy-
faded Italian, dark haired. dark complex
ioncl. eyes that shone with an INTENSE
;ntrrcst. py his side stood a well-knlt
Young man whose features were dlstlnctly
outlined il the radical stamp OF the Slav.
Se,r them stood u Chinaman; over there
, re,,xscnta1ive OF one of the scandinavian
couptries. Running your eyes over the
th,ons vou could readily discern the sclons
ii many Il atious; every one a foreign born
Tho had .,one to find a new nome -
America.
IT. was tile naturalization court. Ihese
mcu from masy lands had come to TINS
courtroom to slSear allegiance to their new
country. One by one- tAey had negotiated
tine list Of questions propcunded to them oy
an inuuisitivc clerk. And W[at u remark
able condition Of affairs this questionnalre
/. revealed!
.vrom Rags TO Riches" you might style
It,.
One Russian, who had been able to make
only n few cents Ii day in the dark days
h,forr thc even darker Red rule, admitted D
nosition having him $40 a week as a coat
and pants maker. ~ Rumanian agrarlan.
v;l., had been a forlorn farmland in his
native country, proudly proclaimed the fact
that here in America he owns a farm ana
has money in the bank. In textile mills
= Persian. who had learned carpet weaving
J in the old country. was now a skilled tore
man directing native-born workers. \
iul,;lont aid lenonstrative son of Italy.
Who confessed having come to this country
thir,scu wears ago and landing without a
siu.,c cent in his pockets, %rcioiced over the
fact that now he owned a S6oOO iarin ana
has nrnrly $4,000 in bank.
Out of, nearly 300 applicants for citizen
shin standing in this courtroom every single
one declared he either owned his own nome
or was buying one. Moreover, all put
two of this throng said that ne had bought
one or more Liberty bonds during the war
period.
Eagerly they took the oath Of allegiance
to the United States Of America. Ihey
had fed the dark corners of the earth they
had come seeking the light-a place where
thew might live free and u~ntramlneled In
5, the fulfllment of their hearts desire. a
home of their own, a decent wage in return
for their work, education for their children.
the right to work, worship and play as
thew pleased. They had drunk to the fill in
the land of, opportunity; they had been
satiated. and now they were I willing to
cast their lots forever with the Promised
Land. The judge was speaking.
..Nohnan can serve two masters he
was saying. IF the time ever comes for
you to display your loyalty and patriotism
you must remember your oath of allegiance
pledges you unreservcdly to the defense and
protection of the United States" #
Some of the more fervent nodded their
heads in approval. e
...This country has been pretty good to
Won. hasn't it?' asked the naturalization
Judge, remarking oni the testimony showing
how these aliens had prospered in their
adopted country. LIT has given you a
chance to make a decent living, and if you
appreciate il; you will support it, and not
allow yourselves to be converted to the
doctrines of mischief makers and soapbox
orators"
NEARCH the whole of the United States
for the man best equipped to deal with
the problem Of Americanizing the foreign
born and you come inevitably to the cham
bers Of Judge Joseph Burlington, Of the
United States Circuit Court of Appeals,
H -..II > 49, -.,. k,r,, s., IlI;1oIn1rhio on1 ON
bracing the district of Pennsylvania, New
Jersey and Delaware.
Through all the years that he has sat in
the naturalization court he has analysed the
immigrant. To him it has been a rare priv
ilege and he has felt it a sacred trust t.
make the most Of his opportunities. There
is probably no other jurist in America better
qualified to touch en- the subject of the
American immigrant than Judge huntington.
1t was with this thought in mind that
the writer sought out the judge in his cham
bers after witnessing the remarkable scene
in the naturalization court. The foreign
born have been thrust in the limelight These
last few weeks. BY many authorities they
have been blamed for many of our economic
ills.
1t has been asserted that the steel work
men who went put on strike were for the
Most part the foreign-born, who had beer
the gullible pnwns Of the radicals or theil
coanspirators. In some quarters there has
been heard the cry, ''shut down on immi
grafton" in answer to that cry from Other
quarters. .'Deport the aliens What would
Judge Burlington, the friend Of the immi.
grant, have to say about all these things
Well, he had very much to say.
He was reading a letter as the inter
viewer was ushered into his chambers. Some
one N had been reading in the newspapers al
address Judge Burlington had delivered DO
fore newly naturalized citizens in which b
hadsexcoriiated ''viruient, agitators as dan
gesrous domestic enemies"
The letter ran in this fashion:
Dear Judge-Ycu are quoted ias, saying
thats+you know all about the wishes of
\ Tie foreign workers. in our mills. You
make me laugh. What do you, a. Judge,
living the easy, Fat life that men Of your
cIass'do, know about. the workers ?l No
mnrfso Of your class knows or can know.
5s md most Of all, don't want to know what
0ni. lives are or what we want.