The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-07-13
AS Set Forth by Mr.. David
Stern, Attorney
HOW TO BECOME 4 CITIZEN

Made in the Laws of Recent Years
What Formerly Was a Simple and
Slip-Shod Procedure is Now Gov
crned by Important and Rigid Reg
ulations.
Especial to News and Observer.)
Greensboro, n. c., July 1O.-Mr.
David Stern, one of the brightest and
most industrious of the younger men,
bers Of the bar in the State. having
an practice on questions
pertaining to naturalization Of foreign
citizens, gives this correspondent some
interesting incidents connected there
with, along with some valuable in
formation concerning the radical
changes made by Congress in the
past few years in regard to obtaining
naturalization papers. All old law
yers remember that the process ten
entirely unprotected from looseness,
to say the least, when it became
necessary to have a white mans vote
to overcome q negroes, for instance.
Recently Mr.. Stern had a Turkish
client, Who desired to visit his old
country. He had become an Amer
lean citizen. but desired to get his
passport back to the Ottoman Empire
Vised by the Turkish consul, SO that
he could make his visit and return as
an American citizen. Mr.. Stern, in
seeking to have the proper papers
vised. discovered that not only Turkey,
but Russia, has laws making it a
crime for their ictizens to become
citizens of other countries, their
Shiboleth being: "Once an Ottoman
always an Ottoman. When these
laws were brought to the attention of
the Department Of State at Washing
ton, the reply was that while the
United mates did every thing possible
to protect natpralized American cltl-
zens, and strongly dissented from
these laws, yet il advised very strong
ly against the return even for a
months visit, of a former citizen of
one of these countries, who is now a
. naturalized American. The practical
point is. that the United States au-
thorities know very we'll that in deal
ing with Turkey and Russia, one can
put no dependence on what they Will
do to former subjects, when once in
their territory.
An important change made in the
recent naturalization laws Of the
United States. is to the effect that if
any alien who has become n~aturalized
shall go to a foreign country within
five years. and take permanent resi-
dence there, his certificate Of citizen
ship, in the absence of countervailing
evidence may be cancelled, and Amer
lean protection is withdrawn.
Important Changes in the Laws.
Speaking of the general changes
made by Congress in the past few
wears in the natural iZafi0n laws Mr.
Stern after referring in the highest
terms to the c~odifcation OF the laws
recently issued and compiled by Mr..
George P. Pell, Of the Winston bar,
said he was glad to find that Mr.. Pell
had incorporated these changes in his
book
He said that the increase Of emil
grafton to North Carolina,
and the general disposition Of the
clerks of the court to ollow old forms
in the matter of naturalization made
1t worth while to call attention to the
naturalization laws as amende by
Congress in the last few years and
subsequent to the publication of the
forms generally used in North Caro-
Una. The penalties for failure to
strictly observe the regulations and
requirement. are very severe. The
fees for all services are prescribed,
and it is a misdemeanor to charge any
than the prescribed fees. CONTINUE.
ing, Mr.. Stern said: The Federal
courts Of North Carolina. our Superior
courts and Supreme court have juris-
diction over the naturalization of
aliens.
How to Become q Citizen.
THE declaration of intention to be-
come a citizen must be fled after the
alien is eighteen years old, and not
less than two years, nor more than
seven years. prior to naturalization.
The petition fer naturalization
amongst ether things must show a
residence Of FIVE years in the United
States, continuously, and one year in