The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-24

since Andrew Carnegie was born In
Scotland. and has never abjurcd hts
allegiance to England, there Is moth
Ing on tho English statute book to
prevent his being subject Of the
British crown when living In his ma
tive Scotland. nor from being II citizen
OF the United states when residing at
his New York home. on Fifth Avenue
and Central Park
Andrew Carnegie came to America
as fourteen year old boy. and his
father having either become natura-
l'zed at Pittsburgh. or having merely
declared his intention of becoming n
citizen. tho future Laird of Skibo was
exempted from the necessity of ma
turaliZation, even OF making the
| so-calied declaration on attaining
manhood, and on registration as
voter at Pittsburgh in elections. mu-
| nicipai. State and Federal.
a popular Impression seems to pre-
vail that England does not recognize
| the naturalization in foreign coun-
tries OF her native born citizens, and
! that sic looks upon English citizen
ship az inalienable, no matter how
much /. may have been adjured for
purposes Of expectancy. This Is a mis-
! take. British citizen who secures
| Letters OF naturalization In the United
! States, or elsewhere abroad. specin-
! call* renoanring his British allegi-
ance, becomes. ipso facto. an alien in
the eyes OF the English law. and sub
| ject to all the disabilities of an alien.
! In order to recover his British citizen
+ ship he must secure letters of Eng
| lish naturalization, and fulfil all the
| formal'tie. ant requirements in con-
nection with the long and tedious pro-
| cess. Just as If he were a foreigner
! by birth. Ia fact, there is only ono
! advantage winch he enjoys above the
foreig born English citizen, namely
certain cficcs and dignities are open
| to him which are barred to British
, subjects CT alien birth.
Moreover, an Englishwoman who
"eds foreigner. is held thereby to
forfeit her nationality, acquiring that
of her husband exclusively, and Lady
/ Sybil Cutting. daughter of the Earl OF
| Dcsart. and widow of tho late WI
liam Bayard Cutting. Jr., OF New York,
has within the last few weeks secured
\ from the crown, through the Secretary
of State for the Home Department. az
/ ter due legal process certificate re-
storing 10 her her British nationality.
In the United States the methods
er7ployed in this connection are more
cumbersome. For when President
Grants tn"sater. Nellie. after the
death Of her English husband, Algcr-
ron Sartoris, returned to the land or
her birth and wished to recover her
American nationality, special act OF
Congress. dated May is. 1898, was
dcciued 10 DO fecessery for the pur
pose She Is now Mrs. Frank Hatch
Jones, and max her home in Chi
caHn.
In order that my readers may not
misunderstood me about Andrew Car
ncSies dual nationality, / would re-
peat that the English law of 1870 rem
ders dual rationale: possible. since
country abtured lis allegiance TO the
he taken ont letters or naturalization
in due form In the United Statcs-hc
would have, ipso facto, forfeited his
tights as native born British sub
icct
Germans, according to legislation
now in process of enactment by the
German government, are TO be even
still more l!hcra'ly treated in the way
OF dua! citizenship. For no matter
how much they ma! have secured fer.
eiEn citizenship in the New World,
ard have abiu"eG their allegiance 10
the i[ai,er on this side OF the Atlantic,
their German citizenship is TO revive
automatically Immediately they set
foot once more on German soil. This
is intended 10 encourage repatriation
Some enthusiasts on the subject Of
British American. Franco-America
and German American friendship have
suggested that the people OF these re-
spective nations should enjoy the
right of citizenship in one anothers