Speech #650234543

I call upon them to prove. as I know they into those matters in detail. will. true to their best traditions. to meet every condition and The bill attempts to relieve a condition that ought to be remake every sacrifice required of them with firm resolve and lieved at the present time. and I believe it does so. It puts into stout hearts. to uphold the ideals of the flag of their adoption- the service of the country men who .have. by their actions. by the red. the white. and the blueto give their lives and their their deeds.. shown that they should be American citizens. all in defense of these glorious colors. to the end that liberty They have shown it by joining the Army and the Navy and the and democracy may forever be preserved to our sacred country other branches of the service of the United States in its struggle and to her brave "conrades In arms." in this worldwide war. The purpose of the bill is that by I call upon them to inspire and encourage their oppressed eliminating the long. tedious processes of the course of naturalbrethren in despotic Austria and militarycontrolled Germany. ization. these men. after having been thoroughly examined by to rise in their might and break the chains that have held them the Bureau of Naturalization. may go with that written record in londage and slavery. in misery and in want. to throw off the and file it with the court. and after tle court hears it. they yoke of their oppressors and those tyrants who are responsible may be admitted as citizens by a final order and decree. to the for this terrible war that has destroyed millions of lives. that end that they will then stand. as you and I do. as American citihas taken from mothers their sons. from wives their husbands. zeus. invested with all the rights that follow from being an from millions of innocent children their fathers. that has driven American citizen. They can then be sent abroad. and then there from the humblest shelter and deprived of lifes every neces- will be no question. in case they are captured. of their being sitylifes every means of sustenancemillions of aged men. shot down as traitors. as might be done if they were not natuwomen. children. and babes. I also beseech them to call to their ralized. kinsmen across the seas and with loud voice exclaim. " Rise There are many thousands of these men. The present situafrom your slumber. you CzechoSlovaks. descendants of Huss- tion can be relieved by the immigration officers going to the Ziska ! Rise. you Poles. descendants of Sobieski. Pulaski. and cantonments and other places and taking the statements of Kosciuszko! Rise. you JugoSlavs. descendants of Dusan and these men and by the courts early action : not as is done under Kara George! Rise. all you subjugated peoples. so that the lib- the present law. where nilen are required to go to the court erly and freedom for wiich your forefathers hoped. suffered. nearest their places of residence. but they can go to the court bled. and died.may be attained and to you forever made secure. nearest to the camp or the cantonment and there be naturalized. And when. aided by all other democracies of the world who- This bill remedies the defect and cures the evil of the present are engaged ini this mnumental struggle to obtain for you this situation. and gives full natualizatioll and citizenship to the liberty an(d freedom. you will have helped to break the chains men who believed that they were American citizens by virtue of that have shackled you these centuries. then extend in the their residence. by virtueof the naturalization of their fathers. spirit of brotherly love and benevolence to the peoples of Ger- and who have acted in the capacity of citizens and have voted many. who are dominated hy the iron and ruthless heels of and held offices. and who now Niant to be in the attitude and military lords. the hand of friendship and aid. so that they. in tile position wlere they call say that they are American cititoothe great common masses of these German peoplesimay zens under the law of this country. It ought to be done. live in peace with all the peoples of the world. but who are force- Then. we take up another class. those who have received their fully subjugated by the brutal power of Prussian militarlsm. naturalization certificates but whose naturalization has bleen which is attempting to conquer the nations of the world. nullified and declared void by the decision of the Supremle Court Al. in conclusion. I fervently hope that the great Russian in the Morena case. where it was held that they had filed their people and their leaders will have the wisdom aill foresight original applications too long ago and had waited too long to to realize that the freedom thd have attained and the liberty be naturalized. and consequently the whole proceeding was void. they have gained can be protected only in concert with the This bill remedies that condition and permits those who thus allied democracies of the world. that they will detect the cun- received their final judgment of naturalization to have their ning and deceit of the archeneilies of every forn of democracy certificates validated. notwithstanding the fact that they waited aid liberty. the autocracies of the Hapsburgs and the Ilohen. oie year too long. There are many hundreds of such meli. and zollerns. that they will not. after all these years of struggle it is but just that they should be naturalized. Many of them want to go into the military service. A good many of them would be classed as "alien enemies." The bill treats them all alike.