Evening star., 1940-05-20
President Charges
New Citizens 10 Think
First Of America
1900 New and Future
Americans Attend
Program Here

heard a message from President
Roosevelt charging them with the
responsibility to think first of
America and at the same time to
think in terms of humanity"
The Presidents message was read
by Secretary of Labor Perkins at
Citizenship Day program in the
Departmental Auditorium.
Approximately $500 persons in
eluding hundreds who have become
citizens in recent months, sang God
Bless America" in accents ranging
from Swedish to Polish, with Eng
lish, German and Russian there too.
The President in his letter said:
ut gives me real pleasure to join
In the observance of II Am An
American Day" which has been set
aside as a public occasion for the
recognition of all who, by coming
of age, or naturalization, are attain
Ing the status of citizenship.
America First.
Great responsibility rests upon
those born here who are reaching
their majority and also upon those
born in other lands who, as new
citizens, are taking the oath of al
legiance to the United States Now.
they must be prepared to share with
millions of their fellow citizens in
the responsibilities and duties which
are those of all patriotic and home
loving Americans.
1T will be their responsibility and
their duty always to think first of
America and at the same time to
think in terms of humanity. This
nation was created to insure the
things that unite, to eliminate the
things that divide. 1t will continue
to be a land of opportunity for
native-horn and foreign-born citi-
zens. 1t will continue to offer them
the hope, liberty and justice which
have always prevailed in this great
democracy of ours.
Il join with citizens everywhere in
welcoming the more than two mil
lion American boys and girls reach
ing the age of 81 this year,
and also additional thousands of
foreign-bo becoming citizens by
adoption. In return for the rights
and responsibilities of citizenship,
am sure they will, for all the years
of their lives, perform the high
patriotic and American duty of sup
porting their Government at all
times in keeping with its principles,
traditions and ideals as democ-
racy."
Pageant Climaxes Program.
Climaxing the program. which was
sponsored by the -Americanization
School Association in cooperation
with the immigration and Natural
ization Service, was a pageant COM
posed largely of students from the
Americanization School, These
future citizens, more than 100 of
them, sang the folk songs and
danced the folk dances of the lands
they have left behind them.
James L. Houghteling. commits
sioner of immigration and natural
ization, told the audience that I'VE
meet tonight during one of the most
desperate crises of world history,
when cruel and ruthless powers op-
posed to all the principles of free
self f-government are destroying
everything free which comes within
the widening circle of their
rapacity."
1T is far from certain that this
country's freedom is out of the reach
of their terrible onslaught" he de-
clared, urging the group to love
our American way of life and stand
ready to make sacrifices to preserve
Our freedom
Other speakers were Frederic A.
Delano, president of the American
ization School Association, who pre-
sided; Mrs. Henry Grattan Doyle,
president of the Board of Education;
Mrs. Charles Carroll Haig of the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton; Fred Minnigh, representing
the American Legion; Bert Piers,
chairman of the District 4 Am an
American Committee: Miss Maude
E. Alton, administrative principal of
the Americanization School, and
Souren H. Hanessian, vice president
of the Americanization School As
sociation.