Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-11-30

Americans will now be re-
quired either to expatriate
III themselves or return home, and
how our loyal citizens in foreign
| lands are to enjoy surer protection, was
explained to me yesterday by Mr.. Gaillard
Hunt, chief of the new citizenship bu-
raau of the Department Of State. Regu-
lations framed by Secretary of State Root.
to put into effect this years act Sin ref
erence to the expatriation of citizens and
their protection abroad" have now been
received by all of our ambassadors, min
,sters and consuls. Returns already COM
ing in to the citizenship bureau from these
scattered guardians of our foreign inter-
ests are commencing to demonstrate the
practical benefits of the law.
The number of persons now misusing
our citizenship to escape taxation, mill
tary service and other requirements of
foreign lands will never be known. But
the number as well as the names of our
citizens remaining abroad in the interests
of American enterprises. or because I'M
able to return. home will soon be known
to Mr.. Hunt. This latter class will lose
neither their citizenship nor their coun-
try's protection. AS to the others, the
government will not expatriate them In
law, expatriation is the voluntary re-
uUnCIdClOn Oh one 3 ndIlOIlc1lity. Lie IlSuI
of a citizen to thus divorce himself from
his country was denied by England and
doubted by our own jurists until finally
established by the British parliament in
1870 and by our Congress two years ear
He-. Some foreign countries still deny
this right, and with most Of these we
have treaties by which they agree to
recognize as Americans their former citi-
Gems who have secured our naturalization.
But we have none with Turkey or Russia,
UyhnSa SIlhiQrtR fnrh1ddqn assume
another allegiance, on pain or arrest on
returning to their native land.
Although expatriation has been per-
mitted by our statutory law for we'll
night forty years, no process for con-
summating It has, until now, been pre-
scribed. except in the case Of deserters
from the army and navy.
New Process Of Expatriation.
The new process is welI-defned in the
new regulations framed to carry the
recent law into effect. Any American
citizen is deemed to have expatriated him.
self If he has become naturalized abroad
Or taken an oath Of allegiance to a for
eign state. A naturalized citizen Is con-
sidered to have expatriated himself If
ne has resided two years in the country
Of his origin or five years in any other
foreign country. Naturalization abroad.
as in the case Of William Waldorf Astor.
20 that effect, been hitherto regarded by
our government as an act of repatriation.
as has also the taking of an oath of
allegiance to a foreign state, as in the
case of Sidney Mason, whom the State
Department denied a passport in 1880 be-
cause, in Porto Rico, he had sworn al
legiance to the King of Spain. But the
government has been able to deny citizen
ship privileges only in cases which have
CHANGED to come to its notice.
Now, however, the new citizenship
bureau is to maintain a systematic search
for such cases. Secretary Root has in
structed all of our diplomatic and con-
sular officers to notify the State Depart
nent as soon as they learn that an Ameri-
,an has become naturalized or sworn
allegiance aLioad. The facts must be
certified to under seal. and will be filed
n the citizenship bureau The time limit
given to our truants is all brand-nsw
law. In nearly all cases naturalized
Americans who have been living in the
Countries of their origin for the last two
years or in other foreign lands for the
EAST five years have already lost their
rights of citizenship.
Three Loopholes Provided.
Thfee loop-hol of escape have, how
ever, been provided for all past and future
offenders of this class. The presumption
hat they have thus. expatriated them
selves may be overcome IL they give to