Evening star., 1914-12-30
AMERICANS WARNED
TO OBTAIN PASSPORTS
Germany and Other Countries De-
mand Proper Certificates, Says
State Department.

Another warning to Americans plan
ming to travel abroad that they must
provide themselves with proper pass
ports has been given by the State De-
partment.
After Friday no person is to be al
lowed into Germany without passports
bearing photographed and vised by
German diplomatic or consular officials.
This notice has been given by the Ger
man diplomatic agents.
Numerous complaints We're said 10
have come from England, France and
ing to enter those countries without
passports.
Department Statement.
The department's statement follows:
1.-THE bureau of citizenship Of the De-
partment of State. which is charged
among other duties. with the issu-
ance Of passports and which is already
oyerworked, receives many kilograms
and lone-distance telephone calls from
New York, Philadelphia, Boston ana
ether ports In regard to obtaining pass
ports for persons who are on the eve
Of leaving this country for Europe. NJ
merous messages have been receIVeo
wish to sail on the Lusitania tomor-
row morning. They were informed that
the only sure way to obtain the pass
port in time would be to send proper
applicatinS by messengers from New
York today. Some of these persons were
obliged to go abroad on very short notlce
to look after near relatives or attend to
urgent business, while others nao
merely put off making applications 1or
passports, imagining that they could
obtain them at the last mofnent without
difficulty. Some of them were shocked
to learn that, under the new resula-
tions it is necessary for every appi-
cant for passport to make a swoin
application before clerk of a court
and send it to the department with du-
plicate unmounted photographs, one
attached to the application and the
other to be attached to the passport by
the department
Passports Necessary.
Passports are now absolutely neces-.
sary for entrance into most European
countries, and should be carried by all
persons who go abroad. If all Ameri-
can citizens who expect to travel
abroad would only take time by the
forelock and submit proper applIca-
tions within a reasonapie perioa oeiose ~
sailing they themselves as Well as the
department would be saved much worry
and Inconvenience.
1.-THE department has recently recelv-
ed telegrams from diplomatic and con-
sular officers in England, France and
Italy, reporting that much trouble IS
being caused by the arrival at ports OF
those countries of persons from the
United States. who claim American citl-
zenship, but are not provided with
American passports.
Germany's Ruling.
'"rhe department has received notice
that on and after January 1 no per-
sons will be allowed to enter Germany
unless they bear passports to which
their photographs are properly attached
and which are vised by diplomatic or
consular officers of Germany.
Passports must also be vised for
Italy, Russia, Turkey and the Balkan
countries, and it is advisable to have
them vised for France, Spain and
probably other European countries. The
wise is not required of persons enter
ing England, but it is necessary for
ali persons entering British possessions
to bear passports