Speech #660192032

Mr. Chairman. there:seems tobe..so:much confusion in regard to the .process of naturalization and the requirements of section 4 "of . the naturalization law. to which reference wasmade a momentago. that Ithought I -might explain the procedure. When an alien arrives in America.-within 30 days thereafter he maymake application for whatis known as a declaration of intention to become a citizen. When he has been here five years. and -at least 90 days before his petition for final citizenship can be heard. he must file his :petition. He -goes to -the clerk of the court with two witnesses. .and .they must testifyto the ifact that.they have known him during the entire fiveyear period of time. Then the papers aresent over to the bureau of examiners of the NaturalizationBureau. There the exaniners question the witnesses and examine the -applicant again. At the Department of Justice :and the Office of Military -Intelligence there is a record of cases which may have arisen as a result of the draft.-and so forth..showing the loyalty of the witnesses or the general actions of the applicant. When that has -been disposed of and the -naturalization exanminers are thoroughly satisfied that theman.is fitto~become an American citizen. he and hiV two witnesses must appear .before thecourt. Now. it istrue that -appearance before the court on the final :proof. is. a. formal.affair. :It is assumed .if .the naturalization examiners -have 0. iKd :these papers -for the applicant. then the applicant is admitted. It is true the witinesses and the applicant are sworn in the court.but that is ..about allit consists of. Iniregard to the certificate of arrival. - as to which reference -was made a -few moments ago. it is .a wellknown fact that thousands of men in the United States -wlll - never ibe able - to obtain that certificate of -arrival. as .tle -records. at Ellis island were burned some time ago. In addition to -that. it is a wellknown fact -that -the steamship -companies in *filing :their manifest. -where the name -might :be "Vack." - show -it probably as "Vak." and so on. In.numerous casesit is impossible to obtain -from. the: manifest list thesname --of the -individual who arrived -here For years the courts have held that where -such certificates can not be obtained. evidence furrenshed by -the -man :himself that he has been in the country "five years. together with that of his Witnesses. was competent and sufficient. :Now. as a matter of -fact. -years ago there used -to .be handed out to the immigrant when he arrived here a certificate or a slip from Ahe :steamship company showing that hehad arrived by steamer soandso. Vhen we -were on -board othe.Adriatio- when I say "we" I mean members of the Immigration Committeewe found first and second class passengers who received cardsof landing and pitched them away. This certificate of arrival does not add a single:iota of measure of sfety in permitting any manto be admitted to citizenship. *It does .result in this. however. that .over .22.000 applications Yor -certificates are unattended to at Ellis Island at the present time.