The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-09-05

delphia. and by German-Amer-
C societies receiving Instructions
from the kaiser's Government, TO the
fact that other laws run in this coun-
try besides those of the United States.
This will doubtless come in the light
OF q startling revelation to people who
have fond.y Imagined that the conduct
OF those on American soil was gov
erned solely and entirely by American
statutes, Federal, State and municipal.
That any foreign Power should claim
the right to contro. the action OF per-
sons living over here under the pro-
lection Of the Stars and Stripes must
strike the average American citizen at
first sight as an altogether intolerable
pretension, full Of menace to the indie
pendence and sovei eighty OF the
United States.
This impression is only natural wnen
1t 10 borne in mind that this great re-
public has always declined to take Off
cial or legal cognizance of any crimes
committed by its citizens beyond its
borders. except piracy, slave trading on
the high seas, or offences pcrpetrated
in such countries as Egypt. China.
Siam and Persia, where Uncle sam
pOssesSeS, ny virtue OF tnOst sCTups
Of paper" officially known as treaties.
extraterritorial Jurisdiction. and on
sular tribunals. Save In these in
stances the American laws max 10
provision for the punishment OF crime
OF which American citizens may have
rendered themselves guilty in foreign
lands.
Germany Is by no means the only
alien Power that demands the obedi-
ence of her subjects to her own laws
while those subjects are living in the
United States. Nearly all other foreign
Governments hold their subjects TO
judicial account for crimes which they
may have committed abroad; that is to
ay. common law offences. sucn as
murder, forgery, counterfeiting, &c.
But the Kaiser Is thus far alone in the
attitude that he has taken up in
threatening dire punishment, in the
form Of death, long terms Of penal
servitude and confscation OF property,
for the doings OF Germans in the
United States that are not offences in
the eyes Of American law, and In seek
ing TO dominate by fear In this fashion
their economic and political activities
in this country.
Thus the German Consul General at
Philadelphia, DR.. George Stobbe. ad-
mitted having issued a warning to the
Arthur Koppel Company,
an American firm Incorporated under
the laws Of the united States, but
COMPOSED largely Of Germans, that the
latter would be held accountable by
the Kaiser's Government in the event
Of Its filling an order for railroad
supplies to the Russian Government.
Similar warnings have been addressed
By DR.. Stobbe and by other consular
officials. and by German-American as
sociations receiving directions from
the German authorities. to the erect
that any assistance knowingly rem
dered to a foreign Power at war with
Germany, no matter in what form
will be punished as treason; that is
to say, either with death or with Inn
prisonment at hard labor for ten
years or for life.
The people aimed at in these warn
ings are not merely big firms like the
Orenstein- r-Koppel Company,
but engineers, mechanics n skilled
workmen employed in factories where
munitions OF war are being turned out
for Great Britain and for her allies, 10
scientists who are furnishing advice In
connection with the production OF
chemical compounds for Germany's
foes, and even to writer's who may
have by criticising the methods OF the
German Government or the strategy
Of it's armies injured Teuton prestige
and credit abroad. In fact. anything
done In this country calculated to aid
the foes of Germany Is to be severely
punished.
OF course the German authorities
and the societies I nave mentioned ex-
plain that these warnings are meant
exclusively for bona fide German sub
jects in the United States. But the
policy which Germany has seen tit to
adopt with regard to letters Of Amer
ISan naturalization leaves no doubt
that the threats are also directed
against American citizens OF German
birth and ancestry.
The fact of the matter Is that the
Kaiser and his Government look upon
the greater part of Germans in this
country who have obtained letters OF
American citizenship by means OF nat
u~raiization as still subject to his rule,
Thus Section XIV. Of the German
Imperial and State nationality statute
Of July 20. 1913. enables a German
10 retain his German nationality even
though n~aturalized in a foreign coun'
try. German aw is very explicit
about the retention by its citizens OF
their Teuton nationality even wher
naturalized In a foreign land.
Moreover, in Article XIII. OF thu
same Law. the descendants OF a Ger
man who has become a citizen OF TIT
United States can. without limita
ton as TO the number Of generations
Of descent from the man VIII
became naturaiized, retain or acquire
German nationality. without the es
Enlistment OF a residence In the do
minions OF the Kaiser. This virtual!
means thai the Imperial Government
at Berlin puts forward a pretensiol
10 the allegiance and to the obedience
to It's avs not only on the part o
unnaturalized German subjects resi-
dent in this country, but also of thos
German Americans who have secures
naturalization as citizens Of tn
United States and OF their descend
ants In an unrestricted number O
generations.
o: course II ma lie arRo~c that al
tnat the Germans and German Amer
leans here need do in order to es
cape the wrath OF the Kaiser an