The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1942-02-11

AA4Ai - sci AAti = "a
printing for a long time. Finally,
several national lawmakers devel-
oped a favorable interest in the no.
ton and tried TO get It adopted.
No exciting emergency prevailed
just then, however. to stimulate
the campaign and presently it
petered out.
Today. though acceptance OF the
system looks like i possibility It's
talked Of on Capitol Hill. by func-
tionares in the government $ vari-
Gus executive setups and a good bit
by the press and general public.
Recently a straw poll was taken
on the subject and the scheme
scored stable majority.
The principal objections based
on the ground that such regimen
tation would be un-American. II
it were proposed solely for appli-
cation in the cases Of unnatural
lied foreigners. l don't believe
thered be any opposition to 1t
whatever. but quite a few natives
and Americans by adoption evil
IDENTIFY sense a totaltarian tenden-
c. in compulsory registration Of
all of 'em-not merely as military
CONSUMPTION eligibles, but on gen.
eral principles, regardless Of age
and everything else.
Makes Spotting Easier
or course, the pro-identihcation-
lists argument is that an enemy
agents difficult to spot if no Gre
dentials are needed by anybody. If
one of ems challenged, he natur-
ally says he's an American. And
maybe he is. there probably are
renegade natives whom hostile
governments can suborn. Even an
unnaturalized German or Italian
may be hard to make sure of, If he
speaks good United States. A
Japs more conspicuous, but he.
too, can say that he was born here
and is a loyal citizen. know two
or three Of EN- who, l verify be-
lieve, could say 1t truthfully. But
how sort them out, with the means
lacking to make 'em certify them
selves?
Now. the fact is that a method
exists by which an actual DE-
MAND can be created for identif-
cation cards.
A long while ago ] lived for six
years in the Argentine republic.
There. as in various other Latin
American countries, the police con-
slider 1t one of their duties, not to
compel. but to enable either a ma
tive or an alien resident to identify
himself
They issue to him, IL he applies
for it, and is o. X, a "ceduia de
identidad." or ticket of identity"
He doesn't have to have Il, but
he wants one.
Suppose be goes into a strange
bank, with check TO cash but no.
body to underwrite dis signature.
Presenting that check at the tell
er's window. he submits also his
ceduia de identidad. and that set
ties IL. II his checks drawn on a
solvent account, his title to his
dough's established. and the teller
forks it over, with only prelim-
mary glance at the cedula.
There are plenty Of other cases
in which easy Identification is an
immense convenience and that
ceduis invariably does the bust
ness.
How You Get II
Now. how do you go about get
ting one?
Wei. you call at police head
quarters. You give EN- all the in.
formation they ask for. They
check up on it. Having verified it.
they hand your ceduIs over to you
It's little leather covered
folder. adapted to ft into a vest
pocket.
1t contains your photograph,
your signature. your right thumb
print and few details as to your
birth place and date and your oc-
cupation. The bank teller com
mares yctir SIGNATURE ~, the cborL