The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1937-10-12
But
Says
BOake Carter
Aliens in Our Midst
Where Their Allegiance7
U. s. Citizenship

T DON'T believe there is any
L other nation which possesses
so large a foreign population as
the United States.
Moreover don't believe there
is any other nation which treats
its aliens quite so handsomely as
the United States yet receives so
little thanks by way Of return.
Figures vary all the way from
100000 to 100000 aliens in
America
Out Ut that number a small
percentage are foreigners in the
employ of foreign firms, with Of
fees in the United States. They
have no intention of living here
permanently. A small percent
age of the remainder are on
their own and probably have
jobs which pay them fairly
handsome salaries. Then there
is a group with $4,000 or $4,000
a year income, those who are Of
skilled or unskilled labor, and,
finally, the unemployed aliens
who are supported by the Gov.
eminent or by a State.
VIRTUALLY all, however, out
' side of those working strictly
for foreign firms intend to make
the United States their perma-
nent residence.
Yet am amazed by the mum.
Der Of aliens who have lived
here, sometimes as long as 40
years, but who have not the
slightest desire or intention to
become citizens of the United
States.
A correspondent from Mis-.
souri, asks: whats wrong with
a bill that would require for.
eigners to become citizens Of the
the United States or declare
their intention of making the
United States their permanent
residence.
Frankly, I don't see anything
wrong with such a proposal, pro-
viding it made reasonable excep-
tons for foreigners in the en-
ploy of foreign firms.
THERE seem to me to be too
many who come to the
United States and consider the
country merely a handy meal
ticket, to be sloughed off when
the convenient pile has been
made. For years they enjoy
advantages and a liberty which
I, for one, have never been able
to find the equal in any other
land. They have in the United
States more opportunities for the
making of an individual success
than in any other nation Of
which I can possibly think. It
seems to me the least they can
do is to recognize they owe an
allegiance to the nation whose
protection and whose benefits
they have been enjoying by be-
coming citizens of the nation in
which they intend to reside.
There will be those who will
say that they intend to return
to their native land to retire.
That may be, and that is their
privilege; but let them repatriate
themselves at that time if that
is what they want to do.
There are many aliens who
can be considered reasonably
successful. who pay local and
Federal taxes, who own homes
and automobiles and generally
enjoy a life that they certainly
could not possibly afford in their
native land. There are aliens
who do not fare we'll and be-
come public charges.
These are fed and well cared
for by WPA, ERA and other
"alphabet-soup" organizations
but, rich or poor, success or
failure, they are all at the beck
and call of and give their allie
glance, not to the nation which
gave them either a good living
or bread, but to some nation
which they haven't seen for a
long time nor intend to see for
a good many years to come.
X
HAVE found a great many
aliens in the United States
who have spent the greater part
of their lives in America, whose
friends are all American, who
visualize a few relatives and
School-day or wartime friends in
a hazy mist of sentimental
recollection, but really care very