Speech #680087220

No. these are the actual figures. Of that number 6.479.159 are naturalized. 1.219.057 have first papurs. making 7.698.210. leaving a balance of 5.223.715 who are not naturalized. The foreign born who are under 21 years of age number 1.304.034. and the persons whose citizenship is not reported is 790.823. so that the entire number who are not naturalized or who have not made application is only 3.910.681. As the average annual immigration in the last five years has been 165.000. tile number of 900.000 for that period must be deducted. as these immigrants can not be as yet naturalized. not having lived here the length of time required under our iaturalization laws. With this deduction the number is reduced to 3.019.681. and this includes women. It matters not how anxious an alien Is to become a citizen of our country. due to the many delays to which lie is subjected it takes him from six and onehalf to seven years. The insufficient help in the bureau. the lack of judges and investigators. together with the recent war are factors which are accountable for thousands upon thousands being delayed years in securing that high privilege. We also must consider that there are thousands who on account of old age and their inability to read and write or speak the English language can not be naturalized. Again. there are others who live in the. rural sevtions of our country or who are employed on the railroads who find It hard to secure witnesses that can vouch for them. as is required by law. There are also large numbers o1 persons who have not become naturalized because up to a few years ago they had been permitted to vote on mere declaration of intention to become American citizens. or socalled first papers. as in Texas. Indiana. and several other States. We also find a great many who can not be naturalized because their wives are not living in the United States and. on the other hand. they are denied the privilege of sending for their wives because they are not American citizens. Taking all these conditions into consideration. anyone who is not biased and prejudiced must admit that instead of 7.000.000 unnaturalized. as stated. the gentleman from Ohio will be obliged to concede that the number who are not naturalized and entitled to naturalization is small. and I will wager now that a majority of those are of the older immigration. The figures I have given will justify me in saying that the continuous attacks and charges that the newer immigration is indifferent and not desirous of being naturalized are unwarranted. and are only made to prejudice the minds of the American people against them. Mr. Chairman. I am making this statement today not only for the purpose of securing a larger appropriation for the Bureau of Naturalization but also to show how unfounded are the charges that the newer immigration is indifferent to acquiring American citizenship.