National Republican., 1880-11-11
Status of COMMUNICATIONS.

The state department Is In constant receipt of
letters from naturalized citzins who are natives
of Germany, making inquiry in relation to their
status should they return TO Germany, and grca,
deal Of correspondence has been rendered neces.
sary to answer the various forms of inquiry. The
department has Just prepared q circular, which
will hereafter be sent in reply to all such letters
II says "rhc department OF state follows tho uni
form rule OF declining TO give any opinion on tho
merits of hypothetical case. The conditions
under which the persons making these inquiries
quilted the land Of their nativity are 80 varied and
their personal status, not only with respect TO mill
tary duty but with regard also to their territorial
allegiance under the diverse laws Of the several
states OF the German empire Is SO complex thar ii
is impossible for this government to say in advance
whether questions may or may not be raised by
the local authorities under tho treaty of naturAli2a-
tIon with tho North German union TO
the consequent moeStntlon of the returning
traveller. who may b0 called upon to prove his
acquired nationality aud clear himself OF the I'M
putNliOn of having offended against tho imperiul
or national law by quitting the country wh0
actually IN military service, or under an existing
legal obligation 10 report for such service In
practice however when case arises involving
person OF German biTth not guilty Of the commits.
sion of II crime under German law prior 10 the act
Of emigration, or Of deGertlon from the ranks. who
has become natuulized I'm the United States, and
who may revisit GermOny, pClCCAbly and In the
evident character Of law-ab.dlns American citl-
zen, maintaining his acquired citizenship, aud
cyinCiug manifest Intent TO return % the United
States and JOY here the rights and perform the
lawful obligations OF an American citizen, the
protection extended by government, through It's
representatives abroad isalmOst always OliCnciOus
IT, therefore, ono reyisitS Germany IN good faith as
an American ci,iZen, providing hinsel with the
full evidence of his acquired nationality, which Is
furnished by his citizen papers, or authenticated
copies thereof, ana passport nom tho department.
Of state he may be assured OF ull pr6uer pro-
lection by this government and It's representatives;
but this department. cannot guarantee any ono
against tho possible moostatiOu which might
Gnsue should his status be questioned nnl require
Justification
The naturalization troaty between the United
States and the North German confederation ralinca.
tiOns ofWhich wereoNchanged 0t Berlin, Mays, 1863
provides that Ciuzons OF either country, who be.
come nAluTaliZad gtiZ1us 0i the other and reside
there unlnterruptCdly for Eve years, shall be held
become naturalzcl and shall be treated US such,
This Is also declared to apply to those nOturallzod
in either country before the treaty as
well as those haturNl,Eal there after
When the provinces OF Als0cc aud Lorraine wore
attached to the German empire tho question arose
by tho treaty. The German government held that
citizens of these provinces were not pre-
tectcd from the duties OF allegiance to Ger.
many through any naturalization in the
u part of the empire when tho treaty was conClud-
ed, As a matter ofc0urtesy however the German
government has always responded NyOrUbly Wheu-
over this goyernmcnt has made a request IN any
particular case OF this kind for tho release of nat
uraliZcd American citizen who had been
IN the case Of natives Of AsGce or Lorraine, who
leil those provinces prior 10 their acquisition by
Germany and became duly naturRli2Gd citizens Of
Me United States tho state department has always
held that such persons, never having owed ale,
glance to Germany, they could In no sense rest
under any obligations for military service should
they return TO Germany temporarily, and this has
| readily been conceded by the German government