Daily camera., 1901-05-02
NEW PASSPORT RULES
Warnings Issued by State Depart
ment to Holders.
y
Means of Preventing Forsfgn-Dorn
American Citisens from Ran-
Ming Iato Danger while Vis-
itiag Their Native LaaasA

iting Their Native LaadsA
The state department has just
adopted new policy in issuing pass
ports to American citizens OF foreign
birth, which is designed to prevent
some Of the arrests of those who here
after return to the country OF their
origin. reports the Washington Star.
Heretofore it has been the practice
to grant passports to all Americans
who proved their citizenship and allow
them to go wherever they chose, with
out any warning as to the risks they
might run, but, according to the Off
cial explanation of the innovation 1t
has been found that many people of
foreign birth suppose that the mere
acquisition of American citizenship
and the security of an American pass
port render them immune from the
operation of the laws or regulations
of the country Of which they were for
merly subjects or citizens, il they re-
turn. Such. however. is very far from
being the case. In all countries per-
son who secures naturalization in an
other country is still liable to punish
ment on his return for an offense COM
mitted before his emigration. and in
some countries emigration and nat
uralization without permission are
themselves offenses.
The state department has taken n
simple way of preventing Americans
from unwittingly running into danger
by preparing a series OF notices which
it now sends with all passports to ap-
plicants of foreign birth. 1t Is brief.
and tells him in words that anyone
can comprehend just what the laws
and regulations that may affect him
are. AS the notices relate to the pol
icy of foreign countries, they are not
official, but they are believed to be cor
rect, and have been compiled in the
department. after consultation with
American ministers abroad.
In announcing this important
change in its practice the department
declares that no departure is intended
from the attitude of dissent of this
tlC RoAis.N Va NVi hoii
foreign governments in their treat
ment of their former subjects and cit
izens. and the department has, from
abundance Of caution, SO instructed
American diplomatic agents abroad.
The new plan IL almost identical with
that of England, and those chiefly af
fected by it are natives of Germany,
Russia, France, Austria and Turkey,
although all foreign-born American
citizens are more or less interested
except former British subjects. outside
OF native Indians, Chinese and Japan
ese. to whom passports cannot be is
sued. As indicating the scope of the
policy, the following extracts are
made from the "notice To American
citizens formerly subjects Of Germany
who contemplate returning to that
country"
"a German who emigrates before
he is II years old. or before he has
been actually called upon to appear
before the military authorities, may
after a residence in the United States
of five years and after due natural
ization. return to Germany on a visit,
but his right to remain in his for.
mer home is denied by Germany, and
he may be expelled after . brief So
journ. on the ground that he left
Germany merely to evade military
service. 1t is not safe for person
who has once been expelled to re-
turn to Germany without obtaining
pe permission to do SO in advance. A
person who has completed his mill
tary service and has reached his thir-
ty-first year and become an American
citizen may safely return to Ger
many.
"The treaties between the United
States and the German states pro-
vide that German subjects who have
become citizens of the United States
shall be recognized as such upon their
return to Germany il they resided in
the United States five years. But
.naturalized American Of German birth
is liable to trial and punishment upon
return to Germany for an offense
against German law committed before
emigration, saving always the limi-
tations of the laws of Germany.
If he emigrated while in service or
while on leave of absence for lin
tied time; II, having an unlimited
leave or being in the reserve. he
emigrated after receiving call into
service, or after public proclama-
tion requiring his appearance or aft
er war broke out, he 10 liable to pun
ishment on return.
rAlsace- Lorraine having become q
part of Germany since our natural
ization treaties with the other Ger
man states were negotiated. Amer
lean citizens, natives of that prov
ince, under existing circumstances,
may be subjected to Inconvenience
and possible detention by the Ger.
man authorities If they return with
out having sought and obtained per-
mission to do so from the imperial
government at Strasburg.
"a Frenchman naturalized abroad
without the consent of his govern
ment, and who at the time of his nat
uralization was still subject to mill
tary service in the active army or in
the reserve Of the active army, is
held to be amenable to the French
military laws. Not having responded
to the notice calling him to accom-
plish his military service, he is
placed on the list of those charged
with noncompliance with the mill
tary laws, and if he returns to France
he is liable to arrest, trial, and upon
conviction is turned over to the
army, active reserve, or territorial,
according to his. age. Long atkepce
from France and old age do not sc.