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4-2157 FEDERAL WORKS AGE1 CY WORK PROJECTS ADMI NIST:aATION For Rel ease to A~t erno on Newspapers Friday, August 16, 1940 \ WPA TO AID ALIEN REGISTRATION. Full assistance to the Department of Jus tice in the nati onwide registration and finge rprinting of ali ens will be ext ended by the Wor k Projects Administration, Colonel F. C. Harringt on , Commis sioner, s a id today . Through its education, r ecreati on , art, music and other programs reaching large numb ers of people, 'WPA will aid in making generall y lmovm the requirements of the r egistration law. In addition, wor kers on the Adult Education Pr ogram, particularly thos e engaged in teaching literacy and citiz enship, will be available to assist aliens in properly filling out tho forms which the registration act requires . "There are, of course, n o aliens on WPA rolls 11 , Colonel Harrington explained, 11 but by the nature of certain of our community service pr oje cts we reach a great many non- citizens . They attend our adult educution courses, engage in r e creati onal activities conduct ed undor our recreati on p r ogram, visit our art exhibitions and musical pe rf or mances. "At the request of Department of Justic e officials c onducting the ali en r egistrati on , we have agr eed t o cooperate in making t he facts of the registration lmown and in assisting aliens who need h elp in filing the proper f or ms . " An act requiring t ho r eg istrati on and fi ngerp rinting of all aliens in the country was passed by Congr es s during its present session. The period in wh ich this is t o be done has b een set from August 27 to Decembe r 26 . Conduct of the registration has been placed in the hands of the Digitized by Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY 4-2157 - 2 - Immigration and Naturalization Service of tho Department of Justice, using post offices throughout the country as r egistration centers. Officials estimate there arc approximately 3,500,000 persons who como within tho requirements of the act. Ono means by which WPA will assist in spreading tha word of the registration will be the rending of a bri ef announcement at all p erfor ma nces by units of the WPA Music Program. Th.1ring an average week of autumn and early winter, Colonel Harrington estililat od, the Music Program will give approximately 1,500 public and radio concerts in towns and cities all over the country. Several million listeners will be roached in this fashion . Similarly, the Adult Education Program, conducting an average of 100,000 classes weekly, and the Recreation Program, op erating in thousands of pla;irgrounds and com:r.m.nity centers, will also servo as effective mediums of information on the registration. Ad.ult education classes will be additionally helpful, it was pointed out, in assisting persons properly to fill out the forms required by the registration. Many thousands of aliens already are enrolled in literacy o.nd citizenship classes conducted by WPA. During the last few years it is estimated that an average of 30,000 aliens have boon assist ed each year in achieving naturalization through thes e classes. Plans arc now being made, the Co:r.:1r:1issioncr .-,added, whereby the WPA Art Progr&~ will prepare a series 0f st encils from which a large number of colored :posters will be made announcing details of the registration. These will bo displayed in store windows, post offices and other public buildings throughout the period of the reg istration. Digitized by NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY * * * * * * Original from NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
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