Speech #590098522

Not at all. Mr. Chairman. for this reason: It is provided in this section of the bill that the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization shall keepas has been done since 1900a complete record of every alien arriving In the United States. keeping the date of his arrival. together with his description. and the vessel by which he came. if he came by a vessel. That has been done since 1900. and it is provided now by this bill that it shall continue to be done. Now. this bill provides that all aliens shall be furnished with a certificate to that effect. The object and purpose of having these petitions sent to Washington is that they shall set forth the date of his arrival. a description of the man. and all the Information relative to him shall be carried In the records of the Bureau of Immigration and Naturalization at Washington. The district attorney can not have that information except by corresponding with the Bureau at Washington. Having a record of the petition in each case here in the Bureau at Washington. the Bureau will. by simply referring to its recordit does not require an army of clerks.to do soascertain whether or not the statements in the petition agree with the records of the Bureau. If it does agree. that is an end of it. if it does not agree with that on file In the Bureau. then the Bureau will communicate with the district attorney of the particular district and give him such information as will enable him when the applicant appears in court to properly crossexamine him. It is done not to work any hardship upon those applying for naturalization. but in order to safeguard and protect the interests of the United States in admitting aliens to citizehship-