Evening star., 1923-07-07
CAPITAL KEYNOTES,
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

Very often the adviser" has to
show the men how to make out their
applications for naturalization pa
pers. Then 1t is discovered that the
law requires that the allen seeking
naturalization must be able to answer
certain questions and to know the
language, and to know the Declara-
ton of Independence and the con-
struction of our government. Their
good friend. the young lady visitor"
wh1m they have come to know so
wen at the community kitchen, shows
them and teaches what they want to
learn and explains the difficult Ian
guage.
She does it all so tactfully and
sympathetically that they forget to
pc frightened. when. one day. the
judge visits the school and listens
while they talk America" Even If
he asks them some questions, they
already know the answers. They
get their naturalization papers SO
easily that they never think what a
court used to be for their fellow
countrymen.
Merely certifcation of fitness by
the Amertcanization School is all
that the justices now require-it Is
SO much more reliable than a verbal
examination of frightened aliens in
court. No cold beads Of perspiration
trickle down the brows of the stu
dents when they stand before their
FAMILIAR teacher and discuss the evils
or communism. even though the
Chief Justice is listening. The same
Chie1 Justice has been so frequent a
visitor that his presence is taken as
showing of friendly interest in
their progress and they are proud
10 demonstrate to him what they
nave learned about American insti-
tutions.
r.
frequently some young man is cock
sure that communistic ownership of
property has its advantages. Then
a debate follows, in which the
teacher lets other students do most
or the talking. and gradually the
communist discovers that, after all,
MS reasons for his faith are shaken.
There has been formed an associa-
tion OF Americanization pupils. When
Its constitution was evolving, one of
the brightest young men from Rus
sia. begged that there should not be
too many committees" for soviet
Russia Is made up Of Committees"
and he feared them; they are tyran-
nous. AZ a social meeting recently
wonder of American democracy,
which enabled him to be there, even
talking directly with the Chief Jus
tice and exchanging views in q way
that seemed to be Of interest to both
himself and the great official. why
that would be unheard of in Europe!'
1t Is curious misconception. held
by many Americans, that all immi-
grants needing Americanization are
rough laborers. unschooled in their
native countries. Amongst the Wash
ington pupils are former officers of
high rank in European armies, ar
lists of international fame. students
who have spent years In leading COL
leges. Yet most of them arrived al
most penniless and have found 1t i'm
possible to make proper connections
without the language of the country.
Thousands of our own veterans re-
dered for months, or even years. be-
fore they could readjust themselves,
though they had no such handicaps.
1t is an economic waste, according
to the view of Miss Alton. for Amer
lea to permit a man of the training
and intellect Of a Harvard sophomore
to work Is hours day pouring gaso-
line-not because he feels dissatisfied
with any hard work. but because he
is capable Of doing better work. Or
for an artist capable of doing exqui-
site illustrations, suitable for the
pages of our finest magazines, to be
scraping streets lest his wife go hun
cry. Or for boy to be the butt of
a public school because he knows no
English when. with a little encour-
agement and the arousing Of his self
regard, through applause when he
sings like a trained opera star, the
national hymn Of his country. he may
become the pride of his community.
Today such a boy-once the bait of
all in q public schools working his
way through college. The gasoline
attendant is assistant cashier in one
Of our largest department stores, and
is studying law in Georgetown Uni
versity, and the artist is illustrating
for a magazine.
The school held graduating exer-
cises one night last week, but next
day started new classes for the sum-
mer courses. These summer schools
will add a novel feature in the form
OF teaching by motion pictures, to-
gether with lectures, followed by
, slow repetition of the pictures. with
class discussion Of what they see pic
tured.
Copyright. 1923, by P. v. Coilins)