The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-02-25
Protect American Citizenship.

Protect American Citizenship.
There is some ground for affirming
that the alien who wishes to acquire
American citizenship ought not, after
he gets it, to use it simply as a shield
to facilitate intermeddling with the
politics of the country whose sover-
eighty he has renounced. 1t is possible
that a good many Cubans, after acquir-
ing naturalization papers in this coun-
try, have treated Uncle Sam shah
billy by rushing back to their native
island to stir up trouble. In other
words, their American citizenship was
not as sincere as such citizenship
should be, but was lightly sought and
won for an Interior purpose. We quite
agree with those who affirm that If any
way is open to prevent such naturali-
cations, it should be adopted without
delay But we must dissent from the
proposition that, having granted such
naturalization, it is not our duty as a
nation to assume the full responsible
ity therefor.
Whatever the errors in our present
method of adopting aliens into citizen
ship, one principle needs to be empha-
sized in our diplomacy to the very
utmost and that is that the rights of
American citizenship must be protect
ed, on every land and sea. We use the
word rights" advisedly, for 1t should
not be our intent to encourage swag-
gering and offensive conduct by Amer
,,i, 1Nr
is none the less a bully for being an
alleged Yankee, nor is it proper to Sus-
tain in an American abroad actions
which we would not tolerate in that
same American at home. But in every
country we have official representa-
tives to make inquiry concerning these
points, and when through Official
channels our state department learns
that an American citizen has been ILL
treated in another land, its duty is not
only to exact satisfaction but to do so
with such dispatch and tirmness that
the incident will have educational value
in preventing a recurrence of the indig-
nifty.
1t is a notorious fact that for one
reason or another the principle of which
we have spoken has obtained in our
diplomacy more often in theory than
in practice The result is that an
American who travels beyond the con-
fines of the United States, though he
be ever so inoffensive, is likely in many
places to be treated, if not with some
conspicuous form of abuse such as
can be brought to the attention OF the
American government, then with petty
disdain and annoyances all the more
exasperating because not of sufficient
magnitude to court official investiga-
ton. The fact that Americans are
singled out for such scant courtesy
while Englishmen, on the other hand,
even when they give cause for offence,
are treated with marked Difference and
consideration, proves that the differ
ence arises from political grounds rath-
er than personal, and is to be account
ed for solely by the superior Virility and
decision with which the English for
eign office Furnishes contempt for the
British passport.
The time has come for new deal
in American diplomacy. 1t might bet
ter take the chance of occasionally go
ing wrong in its insistence upon for
egn respect for American credentials
than, by shading its policy on the side
of caution, to entail upon the whole
number of Americans abroad frequent
occasion for humiliation.