The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-09-09
Can Any Foreign Government Veto
American Citizenship?

American NlVlLCuSAAAP'
Minister LEIsHMAN is now having
trouble at Constantinople over tho case
OF one GHIRK1s vARTANIAN. an Armenian
who is said to be naturalized American
citizen, and whom a Turkish tribunal
has condemned to death for murder.
It's, OF course, the venerable question
OF jurisdiction, and the guilt or innocence
of vARTAN1AN has nothing to do with IT,
For three quarters Of century the
Turkish way OF regarding American
citizenship has been a source OF fire.
quent controversy between our Govern
ment and that of the Sultan. Yet the
matter is simple enough.
The Turkish Government refuses to
recognize the validity Of American
naturalization obtained by it's former
subjects without its consent, and when
such naturalized American citizens re-
turn to Turkey they are treated pre-
cisely as if they had no claim to the pro-
lection of our flag. Similar assumptions
on the part Of Germany. Russia and
other foreign Governments have fur
nished many chapters OF our diplomatic
history. The Turkish case, however,
stands naked as an illustration OF the
anomalous condition Of things in this
respect.
If GHIRKIs VARTAN1AN is in fact
lawfully naturalized American citizen,
he is just as much citizen when he Is in
Turkey as he is here on American SOIL
There can be no question OF that. Sec
ton 1000 Of the Revised Statutes de-
clares the principle in the straighteet
and strongest Of English:
An nsturallEed citizens Of the United States.
while In foreign countries are entitled 70 and snah
receive from this Government tho same protection
Of persons and property which is accorded TO native
born citizens"
No native born American citizen could
have been tried and condemned in Iur-
key, for murder or for any other crime,
as VARTAN1AN is alleged to have been
tried and condemned; that Is. by the
criminal court in STEAMBOAT. Tho total
bulk of our agreements with the Ottoman
Empire as embodied in treaties and
"protoools" il not large Turkey contends
that the Treaty Of Commerce and Navi-
cation concluded in 1852 is no longer in
force. But the treaty negotiated In 1880
and proclaimed in 1882 still stands, and
Article w. Of that convention provides:
-ci,xens Of the United sases Of America
quietly pursuing their commerce and not being
charged or convicted Of any crime or ofiense shall
not be molested; and even when they may have
committed some o6ense they shall not be arrested
and nut In prison. by the local authorities but they
shaI, be tried by their Minister or Consul. and
punished according TO their otfense following In
this respect the usage observed toward other
Franks"
Therefore, both by our treaty with
Turkey and by our own Revised Statutes,
as quoted above. GHIRKIs VARTANIAN,
whether murderer or not, had the right
to be tried under the American flag
The circumstance Of his having once
been a Turkish subject, and the asser-
ton by Turkey Of the power to annul
his American naturalization when he
returns to the country OF his origin and
to treat him as il he had never been
naturalized, have nothing to do with
the case unless our Government admits
that it is for Turkey and not for us to
decide who are American citizens.
No more fundamental question can
occupy the attention Of our Department
of State. No prouder achievement can
there be for any Administration than the
complete establishment Of the uniformity
of American citizenship and it's rights
and privileges, not in Turkey merely,
but in Russia and everywhere else. Let
the gateway to citizenship be guarded
well, but when citizenship is granted let
II be good the world over.