Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1899-08-19
NATURALIZATION AN ISSUE.
Subject Louisiana Lynchings Will
Bring IN Controversy.

Bring ~ CpDtrOversy.
Washington. Aug. 16.-The controversy
row In prosress With Italy over the
lynching affair In Louisiana promising
to turn upon the Questio whether the
victims have duly transferred their al
legiance from Italy to the United States,
ii is of interest to review the understand.
ings between the United states and
various foreign powers on the general
subject, Treaties regulating the rights
of naturalized immigrants have bee II
concluded with Austria. Baden, Bavaria,
Belgium. Denmark. Ecuador. Great
Britain, Hesse-D -DGrmstadt the North
German Union. sweden and Norway,
ard Wurtemburg.
The treaties with Austria and ii,
states now included in the German en-.
Fire provide that their citize MS ,r sub
iects who have become nGtura.iZed in
the United States and resided here "Ih-
interruptedly" for five years. shall he
held and treated as citizens of the United
States. The treaty with Sweden and
Norway provides for similar treatment
of immigrants who have resided kc,e t
for a continuous period of at least five
years and during such residence become
naturalized citizens Of the United
States" All the other treaties recognize
citizenship whenever acquir, under our
laws.
We require five years residence pre-
liminary to naturalization except in five
cases. and in these consists the differ
encc between the terms of the two st +
of treaties. Our exceptions are: First,
soldiers honorably discharged from our
army, who are permitted to naturaliZc
without any previous declaration of in
tention or more than one years resi-
dence here: second seam.n who have
served three years on an American mer-
chant vessel after declaration of inten-
ion; third, the minor children of natural.
lied persons, if dwelling here: fourth.
the children of citizens. though born out
Of the country; fifth. the wives of citi-
zens and of immigrants who have de-
clared their intention.
The treaties generally provide that
the declaration Of the intent ion to be-
come citizen of one or the other couE.
try has not for either party the effect
Of naturalization" Besides this. uui
laws forbid the issue of pas. ports TO
persons who are not full citizens. Som;
of the treaties provide that If Il citizen
or subject of the other power, afto" nat
Gralization here. renews his all gianc.
without the intent to return to the
United States, he shall be held to have
renonnced his naturalization here. Re,
nunciation is assumed in .he case Of
even nativn-born citizens who leave tht
country obviously with no intention /.
return.
AS to the countries with which We
have no naturalization treaties, all in
formation must b. gathered troEl theii
works of jurisprudence. th>ir statute
books. etc. In France. Italy, Russia
and Turkey, ii Is held that a citizen or
subject cannot cXpatriate himself with
out obtaining the consent Of his GOV
ernment In Switzerland there IS II
modified assumption OF perpetual citi-
zenship. which takes the form rather
Of preserving to a Swiss citizen and t.
his descendants certain rights and priv
iliges there. tlan of preserving to the
government its right to make demands
upon him; indeed, 1t has been held il
Switzerland that naturalization in the
United States. when preceded by an ac-
cepted remuneration of Swiss allegiance
dissolves such allegiance.