Evening star., 1940-08-26
Alien Registration
To Begin Tomorrow
Inl Larger Cities
Forms Not Received
In Smaller Towns;
$500, 900 to Be Listed

Inc Government is completely
ready" in larger cities to begin to-
morrow the task of registering and
fingerprinting an estimated 100000
aliens, a job scheduled for compile
ton by December 81, Earl G Har-
rison, director of Alien Registration,
announced today.
Mr.. Harrison said that while more
than 100000 registration forms of
various kinds have been distributed
to the 1900 post Offices that will con-
duct the registration. many of the
post Offices in smaller cities have
not yet received the fingerprint
forms and will not be able to COM
plete any registrations until they do.
This is the fault of the Alien
Registration Division of the Immi-
grafton and Naturalization Service
and not in the least the fault of the
post Offices" Mr.. Harrison empha-
sized. After all, we have been
compelled to begin this job with less
than two months preparation in
stead of the six months preparation
that would have been desirable"
Changes of Address.
Alien visitors who expect to leave
the United States by December 26
need not register, Mr.. Harrison
said, but they must register if they
expect to remain beyond that time
oil vie o,1t OWL, a TTnitoI
States for more than 80 days must
register before the expiration of
those 80 days, he added
Mr.. Harrison pointed out, too, that
the Alien Registration Act of 1910
requires that all resident aliens,
after registration, must report each
change of address within five days
of the change. And alien visitors,
students and others not admitted
for permanent residence must re-
port their address every three
months whether they change their
address or not.
While the Post Office Department
must register an average of Sc, 900 on
each of the 100 working days be-
tween tomorrow and December 27
to finish the task. Mr. Harrison
expressed the hope that there would
be no first day or first few days
stampede"
Complaints Received.
ave like for every one involved
to look on this as they would, say a
money order that might be OBJ
tanned any time in the next four
months" he asserted; naturally,
they wouldn't wait until the last
moment, but if they went to the
post Office and saw long line of
people waiting at the money order
window they would simply go away
and return at a more opportune
time"
Mr.. Harrison admitted that the
Justice Department, under which
the Alien Registration Division op-
crates, has received a number of
complaints that the compulsory
fngerprinting subjects aliens to "ig-
nominy."
I'VE regret that any one feels this
way about it" he explained, and we
are making every attempt to make
them understand that there is noth-
ing discreditable about having ones
flngerprintS recorded. That is SIM
ply the most modern and the only
certain means of identification and
any thorough registration nowadays
would require fingerprint record"
FilipinoS Must Register.
Questions asked in an interview
brought out that Filipinos in the
United States who are not citizens
must register, that registration
henceforth will be a prerequisite for
obtaining visa to enter the United
States, that all foreign consulates
in the country are cooperating by
notifying their nationals that they
should register.
The registration law, enacted by
Congress as a defense precaution,
requires that every alien over IA
present himself at a first or second
class post Office or a post Office in
county seat for registration and
f1ngerprinting. Prospective citizens
who have taken out their first
papers must register like nom
citizens.
What 1t Covers.
Children under IA must be reg
istered by parents or legal guardians
and need answer only nine of the
is questions.
The registration questions cover
perSonal Identification. the manner
of entry into this country; occupa-
ton; military service; memberships
in social or other organizat tionS, and
any activity in promoting the in
terests of foreign government.
The penalty for failure to register
or for making false statements in
connection with registration is
$1,000 fine or six months imprison-
ment, or both.