Show THE XATtTKAIrZATION LAWS The National Board of Trade now in annual session in Washington has expressed ex-pressed itself on the naturalization question in the form of a resolution1 requesting re-questing Congress thejlav asset as-set out Just whabconneetionjlthere is between a Board of Trade and zhe naturalization nat-uralization of foreigners the Washington Washing-ton gathering will have to explain as others will be unableto do so It will bs double i that the hoard mentioned Can tell why it took upthe subject when fue reads its suggestions The recommendations recom-mendations are that the applicant for citizenship shall exhibit to tae court when he applies for naturalization a certificate signed by a customs officer stating the date of his arrival the place of entry the port whence he departed the place of his nativity and the country which he left Changes in the Jaws should be improvements not mere changes Just how the adoption cf the boards recommendations would improve im-prove our naturalization laws does not appear The personal information required re-quired to be set out in the certificate certifi-cate is usually given in court When asked but it is practicaly Talueless It avails nothing to know that a mau wastborn in Berlin that he Sailed from Havre on a certain date and arrived in New York ten days ater that is to say it avails nothing unless it is intended to publish a history his-tory of his life when these dates would fce essential An undesirable foreigner would be able to give the customs I officer all the information concerning himself suggested above and could present to the court just as good a certificate cer-tificate as anybody Amendments to ear naturalization laws should contemplate contem-plate the rejection of aliens who are not likely to become good citizens Before Be-fore a man is admitted to the privileges of citizenship he should show not oa Ij that ho understands the meaning of the rights and obligations conferred by a generous government but that he is a reasonably safe person to be entrusted with the powers and responsibilities The criminals and those who are likely to beeome disturbers who are not desirable de-sirable are the ones who should be denied citizenship no matter where they are born or when they came to this country Amendments to the naturalization laws should contemplate longer resideuee in the country by the applicant before admission and more eomplete and perfect proof of the law loving and lawabiding character of the lies |