In recent years the government of the United States has made certain restrictions in regard to citizenship of this country and it is not easy to obtain citizenship papers today.

Years ago citizens were "manufactured" before every political campaign, today the courts demand from every candidate for citizenship, besides a knowledge of the country's language, a knowledge of the form of government and the Constitution.

Sometime ago not much attention was given as to whether this or that immigrant had his citizenship papers; today, however, they do not very willingly employ people who are not citizens of this country, and in many industrial and business corporations they discharge non-citizens and fill their places with naturalized workers.

Among all other foreign nationalities, we Poles pay the least attention to the importance of citizenship in this country.

The greatest number of non-citizens are found amongst the Poles, among whom are represented those who have grown old here, and are not citizens. It is no wonder,then, that the Americans do not consider us, and do not allow us to take a greater part in politics. In all of the larger Polish settlements, the Poles have no political recognition, because everywhere barely one-fourth of them have citizenship papers.

Our negligence is harmful to us and lowers us in the eyes of the Americans, who justly throw up to us that we take advantage of the benefits and institutions of this country, and do nothing to show that we are grateful.

Much is written and said about citizenship during political campaigns, but when these are over a deathly stillness again reigns. We have in all 3cities and colonies various political clubs, but alas! all are unusually active only during a political campaign. The thing is and ought to be that these clubs should call together meetings of immigrants and teach them the principles of citizenship just as well during the time when they are free of political fever. In view of the demands placed upon the candidates for citizenship, our clubs ought to find a means to enable them to publish a popular pamphlet, containing questions presented to candidates at the time they take out their citizenship papers. It is not fair to avoid or cover up this matter, because the already strict requirements can be made stricter and take away from our brothers not only the opportunity to obtain citizenship but their enployment, which we all know is already hard to find.

He who is not yet a citizen of this country,let him try and get his papers as soon as possible. This will help him personally and will help all of us and the Polish cause. The greater the number of us naturalized, the greater our influence in politics, and the greater our national recognition.

The Americans do not consult us as to how many there are of us, but how many of us are voters, and employers see to it that they employ first the one who is a citizen of this country, and is an active worker in the field of national life.