The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1920-08-09
SHow to Make American
Citizenship Desirable
to Alien.
PROGRESS IS SLIGHT
Falls Short Of What is Hoped
for by Patriotic and Zeal
Gus American Workers
Ry CHARLES J. ROsEBAulT
Un New York Timcs)

ever ! 40 into deal Try tu think
OF myself In the other mnp's place.
II makes II much easier for uh 10
get together and there are no nara
feelings nfterwnrd." His words have
rccurred TO me- muny times and
mover have they seemed NOR" apt
than In relation 10 this matter ot
"Americanizing" the foreigner.
All over this country, wherever
the alien-born arc present IN SUN
cient numbcrs 10 draw to them th'
attention ~ the communities IN
which they reside. whether ihcs" b"
mining camps or great citi"s Amer
icanlsation has become rallying cry
for many cnru'Nt ana h'Eh -mind'd
men and women. SOsie,irs organ
izcd TO treat It's problems are con
stantiy increasing and their dclcru
gates como together In conventions
hoping to rain from mutual discus
sion and exchange Of experience a
common program which mny lead
TO tangible results.
Yet, while some progress has been
made. It ls admittedly far from what
was hoped for by the pctrlotic nnd
yea lous workcrs, Millions OF aliens
live and work among us, gain from
ua their daily brcad--and. more Cf-
ten than not. n Eoodly bit Of cake.
and Rtill decline to be Influenced by
the steady pressure OF propaganda
TO become Americans As the 81 cat-
er part at least OF this propaganda
is kindly in form and purpose, II
would seem as though the prOpa-
Eandaists had not yet hit the best
methods 10 accomplish their object.
Let ua assume. for instance, that
cifcumstanccH have compelled me TO
go TO Italy To live aud that hence
forth that country IL TO be my home
and that OF my family. Would | be
disposed to adjurc my American citi-
kenship and become an ltalian2 How
many objections would have to be
cleared away before could persuade
myself To such coursc7 To cut Off
forever the old association and he
a stranger in>the land sf my birth.
of my parents, OF yany near aud
dear friends and relatives; to lose
that which every American holds
dear. the right to concern himself
with his countryS affairs; to face
even the possibility that the uncer-
tain turn OF events might some day
mako me an enemy OF the Stars and
stripes and all that II represents and
coversi
Dfficult Decision,
Frankly, 4 cannot imagine any
thing which would drive me to such
an act. Take my club, for instance,
10 which ] am deeply Aattached.
Would | ever have the hardihood
to cross Its threshold after Il became
known that | was no longer. an
American? Yet Its members Nre
much more liberal minded than the
run OF mon,
Nevertheless, returning TO my
problems would II be right for mo TO
live under the protection OF the laws
OF Italy. to earn my living through
the opportunities afforded by contact
with Its citizens, TO enjoy all the
merits of Italian institutions and yet
refuse the country my full allegl-
anceY And, II l were assailed' by
doubts upon this point -- which
might well happen, considering the
overwhelming influence the decisionN
would be sure to have upon my
whole future and that OF my family
TO whom would | turn tor guild
anceY Would II be to Italian Off
Gals, Italian societies. professors.
missionaries from the various clubs
Tor the INFLAMMATION OF the alien
(which, of course. do not exist, as
there Is no alien problem in
Hal)? or. would Il not be more
likely that l should consult some fel.
low Americans. cmigrnnts like my
self, who had my own problems to
meet whose reactions to conditions
were influenced 10y processes OF rea-
soning similar to my own, by my
basic ideals as to patriotism and 10y
altiosY
IAncoln or Gnribaidi?
4.
fected by leaflets pressed upon me
by Jealous Italian patriots bearing
more or Tess Italian English transln-
tions OF idealistic expressions by the
great Italian libcrator, Garibaldi?
My knowledge of that distinguished
patriot Is somewhat indefinite and
can conceive that some of my
countrymen might know even less
OF hts exploits, but | have an idea
that there might he no more infor-
nation about Abraham Lincoln In
nn Italian or Hungarian home In
some small town OF Pennsylva MIA.
and yet one OF the favorito methods
OF the various bodies working for
Americnnization Is to distribute
pamphlets bearing the portrait OF
the savior OF the Union and quota
lions from his addresses upon Amer
IVA anu phNIlb'Nin, w bAlN | not De
much more impressed II the Italian
propagandists We're to send me quo
tations from Lincoln or Washington
81 some other representative Amer
cnn, demonstrating the duty OF the
immigrant TO the land OF his adup-
tion2 Which naturally raises the
question whether an Italian come to
America would not give greater heed
to the remarks OF Garibaldi than to
those OF Llncoln2
The Justice OF the demand that
those who come to dwell with us
shall cast OFT old alleEianccs and be-
come one with us is not In question
II IL supported by arguments which
would not apply In othqr countries
No other country Offers an equal
lare TO the dissatisfied and the wan
derers of the earth; none other is
called upon TO receive such vast
hordes, Alien in speech customs and
fundamental ideals. Unless we can
achieve their conversion to Ameri-
can ideals and implant in their
hearts the feeling that America Of
fors them a hopeful future as well
ms an endurable present we must
either Impose drastic restrictions
upon ifpmigration or else concede