Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1891-09-05
USES OF PASSPORTS.
Every American Travelling I'm Foreign
Lands should Have One.

Every American Travelling I'm Foreign
Lands should Have One.
"Very few American born citizens
know the value of a passport; every
naturalized citizen is aware that these
little documents are of incalculable
nearly every passport secured by Chica-
60 citizens.
Most people think that the passport
entities the bearer to pass freely
wherever he wishes to go. They re.
gard the paper much as railroad man
does an annual pass. But l have
known of parties who had consider able
trouble on Austrian territory. That
government takes advantage of a very
peculiar state of affairs to secure Amer
lean citizens for its army. Take, for
instance, young Austrian who evades
military service by fleeing to Amer
lea, where he takes out his
naturalization papers. He wishes
to return to his old home to see
the folks, so obtains . passport
The naturalization Ger sificate. full de-
scription of the applicant. and the usual
fee are sent to the Department of State,
and Mr.. ex-Austrian takes the oath of
allegiance. Soon afterward the re-
quired document with its array of seals
and the signature of the Secretary of
State arrives, and the traveller starts
out with full confidence in his paper
Now, he might have given his name as
John Abenbrod; but, unknown to him,
that is not his full name as recorded in
the archives of Austria. When he was
christened the name John was given, it
is true, but a number of others were
added, so that his name might be John
Jean Paul Wilhelm August Abenbrod.
Arriving within Austrian territory, he
presents his passport to the project
''Oh. yes. you are John Abenbrod in
America" remarks the officer. but we
have a name on our books for military
service of j John Jean, ETC., Abenbrod. You
are the man we want" And the govern.
ment has taken men under these cir
cumstances. Or of my applicants had
managed to save enough money to cross
the ocean and see his mother. He
never dreamed but that his passport
would secure him immunity. Thirty
minutes after his arrival, and while he
was occupying pleasant place by the
old Preside, a priest arrived, almost
breathless from running. and announced
that the officials were on the visitors
track. The poor fellow narrowly es-
capped by Fastening out of the country,
by way of Italy, more like criminal
than an American traveller, as he sup
posed himself to be.
THE native-born citizen carries his
passport to prevent serious inconven-
fence at the hands of the inconsequent.
ial foreign officials. ltestablishes and
proves his citizenship beyond perad-
venture. An American could, however.
II he was determined. go about at will.
The police act differently toward .
simon-pure American. One of our
wholesale druggists was promenading
the Champs Elysees, when a creature,
bedecked with an abundance of gold
lace and self-importance accosted him
His questions were actually insulting,
but the druggist merely showed his
port beneath the officials nose. Imme-
diately there was a change. The fellow
began to tremble, and he returned the
parchment with many bushes and
'pardongs.' Idon't believe very much
in the passport scheme, but for all that
I would hardly take a trip TO Europe
without one.
"A female relative of Our Carter Wis
tied Berlin unprovided with passport.
She was compelled to report to the police
headquarters every fortnight Another
Chicago druggist named Miller, OBJ
tanned the regular passport but some
one told him to use his naturalizatio
papers as far as they would work. Ar
irving at his birth place, he presented
his papers. The officer escorted him to
headquarters. where Miller was told to
sit among B lot of mendicants and
violators of the city's laws. Becoming
weary OF this, Miller produced his pass
port and the official Immediately gave
the desired permission to 10 about un~
molestod. n-Chicago leM&