The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-08-01
Continued from Page One)

He is also asked to state the length
Of time he has been in this country
and the length Of time he expects to
stay. He must also describe am mill
tary or naval service he has had, and
list the names of any organizations,
clubs, or societies in which he partici-
pates or holds membership. In addi-
ton, he is required to describe his ac-
|tivities in any organization, and to af-
firm whether or not the organization
furthers the interests or program Of
a foreign government.
To make their registration easier,
aliens are being asked to fill out
sample forms, which will be available
prior to registration, and take them
to post Offices where they will be reg
istered and fingerprinted. Every reg
istered alien will receive by mail
receipt card which serves as evidence
of his registration. Following regis
tration, the Act requires all aliens, as
well as parents or guardians Of alien
children, to report changes of resi-
dence address within five days of the
change.
The Alien Registration Act was
passed SO that the United States Gov
ernment may determine exactly how
many aliens there are, who they are,
and where they are. Both President
Roosevelt and Solicitor General Biddle
have pointed out that registration and
fingerprinting will not be harmful to
law-abiding aliens. The Act provides
that all records be kept secret and
confidential. They will be available
only to persons approved by the At
torney General of the United States.
Fingerprinting of aliens carries no
stigma whatsoever. Thousands of citi-
zens are voluntarily fingerprinted
every year. Members of the United
States Army and Navy are all finger
printed, as are many Government
workers. In recent years, many hos
pitals have established the practice Of
taking footprints of newly born babies.
Because fingerprinting is the only in
fallible method of accurate identifca-
ton, the United States Government
has adopted it as part of it's registra-
tion program.
In signing the Alien Registration
Act, President Roosevelt said, "The
Alien Registration Act of 1910 {.
should be interpreted and administered
as program designed not only for
the protection Of the country but also
for the protection Of the loyal aliens
who are it's guests. The registration
-. does not carry with it any stigma
or implication Of hostility towards
those who, while they may not be
citizens, are loyal to this country and
its institutions. Most of the aliens in
this country are people who came here
because they believed and had faith
in the principles of American democ-
racy, and they are entitled to and must
receive full protection of the law"
Solicitor General Biddle adds, "We
should remember that all Americans
were at one time or another immi-
grants from other lands. The genius
of many countries, the ancient aspir-
ations of many races, have built into
what is America. Unfortunately, there
are some foreigners who are disloyal
to America, who do not wish to ac-
cept our ways and who use our free
dom of speech and of the press to
foment disunity and sedition.
"These persons we will apprehend,
but we will also see to it that loyal
American aliens are not unjustly con-
demned for the disloyal behavior of
few. Our registration will be their