The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-01-24
REPLY TO THE SENATE.
Rights I'm Turkey of Armenian Citi-
zcns Of American Birth.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23.-The President
to-day sent to the Senate reply TO the
Senate resolution relative to rights of
American citizens of Armenian BIRTH who
are allowed to visit Turkey and whose pass
ports are recognized. In a letter to the
President the Secretary of State says that
the papers of recent years show that the
Turkish government claims the right to ex-
elude from the Ottoman territory such nat
uralized citizens. The right is claimed as
prerogative of sovereignty. Its enforce
ment has not been opposed nor has remon-
STRANGE been made save in case of arrest
or punitive proceedings on grounds Of their
having become citizens of the United States
without imperial permission. Passports of
such people are recognized, but the recog-
milton does not prevent the exercise of the
right of exclusion or expulsion The Secre-
tary says that, although no treaty of nat
uralization exists between the United States
and Turkey regulating this point, no in
stance has yet been pressed by the Turkish
government in assertion of a right to treat
the individual as a Turkish subject or to
punish him for the alleged offense of he
coming citizen of a foreign state without
permission. The second branch of the Sem
ate inquiry asked whether families of nat
uralized citizens are permitted to leave TlIr-
key and come to the United states, and on
TINS point the secretary says that the nat
uraiization laws cannot operate by indirec-
tion or by executive Interpretation to make
citizen of a person who has never been
within the jurisdiction of the United States.
The Turkish government has on several oc-
casions permitted the emigration of such
families, but ii has also asserted discre-
tionary power in the premises and refused
United States minister have formally been
exerted on all proper occasions to assist
the emigration of such persons
The resolution further inquiries whether
naturalized citizens of the United States
of American birth have the same rights and
protection in that country as have natur-
allied citizens OF Great Britain, France
Germany or Russia. AS to this, the Secre-
tary says the privilege claimed by the gov
ernment of the United States for such citi-
zens by naturalization in the country of
origin. is greater than that claimed by any
one of the four governments named. A
very general rule among governments of
the European continent, and one which OBJ
tains, in principle, the respect of Great
Britain, also, IS that no alien can be adj
mitted to become citizen of the state by
naturalization, except on production of
mitted by the sovereign OF whom he is al
ready a dependent. Great Britain modifies
this rule somewhat, and is more liberal
than other governments. An Endorsement in
the language OF the naturalization act is
made on all British passports issued to
aliens to the following effect: This pass
port is granted with the qualification that
the bearer shall not, when within the limits
of the foreign state of which he was SUBJ
ject previously to obtaining his certificate
of naturalization be deemed British SUBJ
ject unless he has ceased to be a subject of
that state in pursuance of the laws there
of. or in pursuance of treaty to that ef-