Omaha daily bee., 1921-09-04
u. S. Will Take Up
Handling Of Aliens

CONTINUED From, Page One)
States. 1t is provided that the reg
istration shall take place before the
superintendent OF school or other
public school officials in whose jur-
isdiction the alien resides, that the
moneys collected, after the amount
necessary to accomplish the regis
tration has been deducted, subject
TO the approval Of the director of cit
izenship, shall be remitted to the di-
rector and by him with the approval
of Secretary of Labor re-lotted
under certain specified conditions to
aid in the establishment and main-
tenance of classes in the. public
schools for the special benefit Of
adult aliens, where they will be
taught English and trained in the
duties of American citizenship.
The allotment is designed to aid
in the compensation of the teachers,
but may not exceed the amount pro-
vided for the same purpose by the
state or community, or the amount
of registration fees collected by the
public school official receiving the
allotment and is further conditioned
on the maintenance of such classes
for at least "a weeks in each year.
Expect Passage Soon.
The bill also appropriates 100000
TO provide for cooperation with
other departments of the government
in promoting the instruction and
training the citizenship of aliens, in
cluding attendance at educational
conveptions, etc. This section. how
ever, appears also in another bill,
by Representative john
son providing for the amendment of
the act establishing the bureau of
naturalization of aliens throughout
the United States, and amending the
act referring to the expatriation of
citizens and their protection abroad.
This bill Mr.. Johnson intends to
call up for consideration by tie COM
mittee when congress reassembles.
1t has been introduced in previous
congresses and hearings have been
held on it and in its present amended
and improved form will, in the
opinion of committee members, be
and passed during the first
regular session which convcnes i'll
December. '..
Many members OF congress are
frankly doubtful of the advantages
claimed by Labor department Off
cials for the bill creating a bureau
of citizenship in lieu of the bureau of
naturalization, and providing for the
annual registration of aliens.
Doubtful Of Advantages.
Aside from the disposition to re-
gard as reactionary, if not medieval,
a system of supervision extending to
every member of an alien family of
whatever status in the community
only government officials,
It is held that the expense of a fol-
ow system to insure compliance
With the law would be prohibitive,
hat without follow-up system the
aw could not be enforced, and the
presence of a penalty clause in the
Jill would result in the creation of
of thousands of potential
awbreakers, since experience in the
:ase of deserting alien seamen has
,roved that such regulations are not
complied with voluntarily.
According to reports of the conf
missioner general Of immigration the
number of alien seamen remaining
n the country unlawfully rose from
1883 in 1919 to 13,543 in 1920. These
men, arriving as alien seamen. de-
erted their ships in American ports
md never thereafter complied with
he law requiring them to appear be-
or immigration officials if they de-
ired to remain in the country in
tead of reshipping within the re-
luired period. Identification cards
we're issued to nearly 100000 alien
eamen by immigration officials |
Who boarded 22,738 vessels for pur-
'oses of inspection and registration,
'ut in the absence of a follow-up sys-
EN- to apprehend seamen failing to
omply with the law, none of those
emaining unlawfully have been
ound and deported.