Putnam patriot., 1925-04-17
Tn. Amsris.nir.,ios Dspartmea,


 4 few of those who come to the kmericAnization classes have received . fair education In their own country, but the most are from countries whore they have had but scant opportunity. Several had no reading knowledge Df their own language.
 The conditions from which these people have come, we who were botn n America cannot appreciate 4 young Greek showed us photographs of scenes In ConstSntinopls. As far as the eye could see down long straight street. evidently one of the main ave nues of the city, every two or three rods apart were set up tripods, from every one of which hung Sheeted corpse. These were the dead bodies Of Greeks and Armenians-men Of ~du- cation, men of wealth, men of posi- tion. the choicest spirits of their own countries, victims of blood d=thirstinesz and sayagery. These people have told us how families have been separated. children torn from their parents. wors- en driven before the sword hundreds of miles across the desert, and fathers butchcrd to make a Turkish holiday
 \ number of these people come to school in order Co gain that command of written and printed English which will help thsm In their daily work. Scme are really forced into t by stress of circumstances One man in his business uses an automobile He has a drivers license in Connecticut. But trade in and about Putnam became So dull he decided to move to MaSsaehu- setts. When he appl:ed for a drivers license in that state he was refused be- cause he could no; read. He came back to Putnam and enrolled in the evening school
 Some come because they want 10 be made American citizens. The father and husband has been in this country for years. expecting all the time Co soon send for his family During these years the immigration iaws have been growing tighter and tighter Nae that the father is in cirrufnafsnees which will warrant his sending for his family they are practically ex cludea hs fhs Emallasss af t1e galsz- The only NaY eff a sa bseans sa AmeFtcau effiHen and fnsa svaas sn the family oatsite tna q4ats
 One man hAa beer fa ssta es4ssfg thirteen ysars Daring staas ysara his fnslf Nas 8fivsn esf uf ssssis and sehAeFea about the rsarsrisa as Europe Fifteen months ago thes reached a German port ard Were pro. sidsa with tickets. They waited thegs chance to sail across, but so great wAi the rush that they were not able Cd obtain a visa. They were held in the steamship company's quarters paying board without an opportunity Co get work to pay the bill Money had Co be forwarded from here Last September the father became an Am erican citizen. Now he was entitled Co have his wife and children under eighteen sent Co him. But 50 etFec- tive ls the red tape in Washington that seven months passed by and no no viaa could be obtained it was only through the personal efforts Of Senator Bingham that they were al lowed Co sail April l.
 In this work of preparing men for citizenship the evening school aims not simply Co drill the men to answer 8 few questions but to give them as thorough a knowledge of our govern meni and political questions as time
 sili permit They are taught the meaning Of our national holidays, Che important facts of American his- tory the economic problems of the country, and the arguments in some ef our national issues, such as tariff and free trade. child labor. referen.