The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-05-18
NATURALIZED GERMANS.
Mr.. Kasson Declines to Agree to the Propo-
sirions of the German Government

Mr.. KassOn Declines to Agree to the Propo-
sitions of the German Government.
BERLIN, May 16.-I have just had long in
tervew with Minister Kasson in relation to the
new views taken by the German government
about the sons of such German parents as have
been naturalized in America The following
are the chief points of the conversation, which
will be, doubtless, of great interest to German
Americans: For some month past the German
Foreign Office has had under consideration the
cases of some young American citizens, the sons
of German parents naturalized in the United
States The young men were commanded by
the authorities, "in the interest of the socalled
public ORDER" to leave Germany, because they,
while living with their parents in Germany,
could not be called on to perform military serv-
ice. Mr. Kasscn protested that such measure
was violation of the treaty of commerce and
friendship existing between the United States
and Germany. To this the German Foreign
Office replied, making the following its basis for
future decisions of such cases:
]. The Foreign Office delared that German
fathers raturallzed in America who return
to Germany and then reside there lin GERMANY
more than two years, will be looked upon. under
the naturalization treaty of 1868, having given
up their American citizenship. The correctness
of this assumption on the part of the German
Foreign Office was contested by the United
States. Mr.. kaSson informed the German For
eign Office that this assumption, or explanatic2s
of the treaty, was only tenable when all the cir
cumstances showed that the parents had given
up all intention of returning to America. Ac.
cording to the first clause of the fourth article of
the treaty-in other words, after the two years
residence in Germany-this question of future
intentions could not be decided in this one sided
manner.
2. The German Foreign Office declared that
minors born i'll America, sons of such parents
as before described, retain their American citi-
zenship, and may not be called on to perform
| military duty in Germany, even when the
father has given up his American citizenship
This principle was accepted by the United States
and is not called in question. Now, however
the German Foreign Office claims the right to
refuse residence in Germany to the sons of such
naturalized parents on the grounds of universal
international principles of the so called uninter-
est of public order so demands and if the actual
circumstances show (dafur sprechen) that the
persons in question make use of their American
citizenship in order to escape the duties espc-
cially military service, made obligatory to the
native born population, without having any
intention OF taking up permanent abode in
Germany or giving up the advantages connected
with such residence.
Mr.. Kasson refused to give the consent of his
government to this proposition. On the con-
tFary, he asserted that the treaty did not admit
any difference in the relation between native
and naturalized citizens and that according to
tho same treaty every American citizen was en-
| titled to reside in Germany as long as he wished
and as long as he cbeyed the laws in peaceful
manner. AS the matter stands at present,
both governments maintain the correctness Of
their conception of the treaty. The German
officials say that it is pity that on account
of the repeated changes in the representatives
of the United States at Berlin the nogotia.
tions on such difficult questions are always
delayed and postponed. AS soon as a minister
has made himself familiar with the subject and
has brought it up TO shape to be regulated he
is replaced by another who has first to make
himself acquainted with the subject and the of.
| fcials. And in diplomatic intercourse personal
relations play most important part Mr. Kas-
son stood in high estimation in the Foreign Of
| fee because Of calm, thoughtful, and statesman
J like methods. His departure is looked upon