primarily from Federal, State, or community funds may be reserved for subsequent discussion. The opportunity will not, as heretofore, be provided, if at all, largely by employer, settlement house, religious and political organizations, or by inadequate evening school facilities.

As in the case of the native-born, we place our greatest hope for the improvement of the race in the education of the children, so we must believe and base our plans with respect to the immigrant. Educational compulsion for the mature cannot overcome the laws of nature. The change or reformation of the mature has its limitations both for native- and foreign-born. There are those who seem to expect that the foreigner can be made over, although it is recognized that the attempt is futile with the native, — a high compliment to the foreigner, but an undeserved one. We may expect consequently that results in Americanization will be possible in proportion to the maturity or immaturity of the immigrant at the time of his arrival. For the mature we should not neglect the development of any potentiality for readjustment to American thought and customs. The freest opportunity should be furnished all immigrants, however mature, but our surest hope of uniform and competent results must be in the children of the immigrant, who must be provided with better facilities than those now obtaining. We should commend and strive to have adopted universally the State legislation that requires part time school attendance for illiterates under twentyone years of age, and there are good arguments for some extension of this limit. We need comprehensive legislation and more adequate funds. The present period of interest, agitation, and propaganda should be superseded by positive action. At present we are proceeding to do by communities unassisted what should be done by communities assisted by States and aided by Federal agencies. What we are now doing is comparatively inconsiderable. The immigrant has climbed without our helping hand. Whereever the immigrant is found should be the extended hand. Americanization should not be the result of fortunate accident. Democracy cannot be achieved or made safe by accident.

X. NATURALIZATION AND

CITIZENSHIP

THE NATURALIZATION OF FOREIGNERS1

R. E. COLE, COUNSEL ON NATURALIZATION FOR COMMITTEE FOR IMMIGRANTS IN AMERICA

INSTRUCTION FOR NATURALIZATION

FOR the past few years a number of successful endeavors have

been made in conducting citizenship classes in the City of Cleveland. The settlement houses and especially the Young Men's Christian Association undertook this important field of service. Although much was accomplished, the efforts were not united and no definite program of instruction was outlined.

In the fall of 1913 a committee of the Cleveland Immigration League approached the school authorities in regard to a more systematic effort for instruction in citizenship. The result of the conference was that the superintendent of schools authorized the supervisor of elementary public night schools to establish night citizenship classes in all centers where there was an evident need. The city immigration bureau was then requested to cooperate in organizing and supervising these classes.

The first proceeding, therefore, was to select and train a group of enthusiastic teachers. This was accomplished by arranging for a preliminary meeting at which the purpose and method of instruction were explained. Further, every two weeks these citizenship teachers met for luncheon at noon in a private dining room to talk over their problems and receive practical suggestions. Arrangements were always made to have a special speaker.

These classes are now located in public schools, public libraries, and settlement houses. An unique and practical method of 1 Reprinted from Bulletin, "The School and the Immigrant," Division of Reference and Research, Board of Education, New York City.

instruction is used. A "Teacher's Manual on Citizenship," with blackboard outlines and suggestions, was prepared by the city immigration bureau to meet the particular needs of such classes in Cleveland. A special student's text entitled, "Citizenship Manual for Cleveland, Ohio," was printed. It is a citizenship manual, adapted to local use, with many illustrations, and contains, for instance, an outline of the city government under the new city charter. City, county, state, and national government are considered in logical order.

Many trips by the evening classes are regularly made to public buildings such as the city hall, county courthouse, and post office for the purpose of increasing the interest and demonstrating government activities in actual operation. The buildings are kept open for such visits. Several sets of stereopticon slides on various phases of governmental work have been prepared and secured by the city immigration bureau for use in these classes. "Seeing America," "Our State Capitol," "Columbus," and "Naturalization" are a few of the suggestive subjects of these sets of slides. They have also been shown in the various night English classes and several of the city institutions. Mock trials and courts are continually used to teach our form of government. Many public officials and prominent men have addressed these classes. For every lesson, there are also simple pamphlets which are placed in the hands of the students of each class at appropriate times.

For the purpose of instilling patriotism and arousing -great ́interest, all the citizenship classes have joined an organization called the "American Club." Its motto is "Citizenship and Character." Once every month a patriotic program with special speakers and music is arranged in a conveniently located auditorium. These monthly mass meetings have given opportunity to create in the hearts of these "Coming Americans" a real pride in citizenship.

CITIZENSHIP PAPERS AND RECEPTIONS

Not only the men enrolled in these citizenship classes, but those in the elementary English classes of the public night schools as well, have been aroused to the need and value of securing

citizenship papers. The city immigration bureau, in coöperation with the county and federal clerks of naturalization, furnishes the teachers with application blanks and instructions. The teachers in turn tell their classes how they could become citizens and assist in filling out the required forms. Then the men are brought in groups to especially arranged night sessions of the clerk's offices of naturalization. Thus 1260 men in the school year ending June 30, 1914, were induced to plan definitely for citizenship and personally to make the legal application without the loss of a day's wages either to the applicant or his two witnesses.

One of the most important and most impressive services rendered by the city immigration bureau has been the inauguration of "citizenship receptions." In the past, after the granting of citizenship to the applicant by the judge, each newly made citizen was personally required to call at the clerk's office during the day for his certificate. Now a new method has been devised. The issuing of certificates has been made the occasion of a citizenship reception similar to a graduation exercise. An appropriate patriotic program is given one evening each month, which the successful applicants with their wives, relatives, and friends attend. As the citizenship certificate is conferred upon each applicant, he is impressed with the importance of the ceremony, for he has heard his name publicly announced as the proud recipient of a great public privilege.

When we shall succeed in bringing the fact home to the citizens of America that coöperation and coördinating in Americanizing the immigrant is a community obligation for all local agencies, additional methods of solving the problem of assimilation will be devised, and more efficient service will be rendered in assisting the immigrant to solve his own problems.

THE STEPS IN NATURALIZATION

Every alien must have two papers before he can become a naturalized citizen. The first is a declaration of intention; and the second is the securing of the rights of the franchise.

The Courts. The courts issuing these papers may be the county courts, the superior court, or the Federal court.

The First Paper. This is simply a declaration of intention. The applicant is not examined. No witnesses are needed. He must be able to sign his name. The clerk of the court will give each applicant a blank form which he can fill out at his convenience. The form has some twenty questions, which must be answered. Care should be taken to answer them correctly, for an error in the first paper may defeat the purpose of the alien when he applies for his second.

For a group of ten or more foreign-born men who want their first papers, arrangements can be made with the clerk of the court to appoint an evening on which the men may declare their intention and secure the blank forms. This will save them the loss of a day's work. The men may be helped to fill in their forms, which should be later returned to the clerk for the purpose of filing.

The Second Papers. There are two stages in this process. First: The alien must file his petition for second papers, and bring two witnesses who are citizens of the United States with him, who will testify to his character and to the length of his continuous stay in the country. This petition is entered on the docket, and ninety days later the applicant is examined in open court as to his knowledge of our government, and his qualifications to exercise the franchise. If the secretary has a group of ten or more men, having their first papers and fairly well qualified to take out their second, the clerk of the court will issue the blank forms, which ought to be carefully filled. When ready, an evening session may be arranged for and the petitions of the applicants properly entered. In the following ninety days special training can be given these men to prepare them for the examination they must pass before the second papers are issued.

In addition to the group of men who, under guidance, have petitioned for second papers, others will prepare for the examination. Their names are entered on the naturalization docket, and are hung up for public inspection on the bulletin of the office of the clerk of the court. To such men a letter may be written inviting them to join the class so that they too may be prepared for the examination in naturalization. In teaching the men, the question and answer form will be found useful. They