The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-12-05
AMERICANS MAY BE WITHOUT COUNTRY When They Enter War in Europe Do They Lose
 Their Citizenship?

London, November 20-(Special Corre-
 spondence.) )-There are, according to re-
 liable estimates, several thousand Ameri-
 cans serving with the British army, Can
 adian contingents counted. The question
 of whether these men have sacrificed
 their American citizenship in joining the
 armed forces of King George has arisen
 and needs solution. 1t Is important par
 ticularly for those men who survive the
 conflict which they have entered for they
 run the distinct risk, so far as national
 ity is concerned, of being neither fish
 nor flesh nor fowl. They have each and every one taken an oath of allegiance to King George, his heirs and successors. yet in so doing they have not become British subjects That has been passed on by the British government, and the American embassy in London has been informed by the foreign office that the British government does not consider that in taking the oath applied to every man who enlists that the soldier if he be an alien, thus acquires British citizenship
 But the question remains to be decided by the government in Washington wheth- CT in taking this oath the American does not renounce his citizenship by pro- nouncing allegiance to another govern ment or sovereign. If he does, then these
 Americans who have enlisted on the side of Britain in this great quarrel are men without country. They are not recog- Dized as either British subject nor Amerl- can citizens.
 The problem is now before the state department in Washington, and it is an important one. The views are being put forwo rd vvitl, rafarapca to tba coBdoc, ,f fortune and those whose natural impulses have led them to stake their lives for the cause of the allies, who are placed in this unfortunate position One is that they have sacrificed their claims upon their own government as citizens of the United States. The other is that in talk | ing this oath to defend King George his heirs and successors, they have mere 1 iy made a contract for their services, to extend only for a certain period and that there is nothing political about it. It is known in London that the state depart ment when it was under the. supervision | of MT. Bryan rather held to the view that an enlistment was nothing more than l a contract, and that an American joining
 the Canadian forces or coming to Eng | land and enlisting in the British army or going to Germany and becoming German soldier or throwing in his lot with the French or the Russians, simply made a private contract to perform certain Serv-
 ices and did not, in so doing, surrender his American citizenship.
 l A definite decision in the matter has not, however, been made, but one is shortly expected.
 l There are in England, severa; wives of Americans who have entered the British army. The nationality of mar
 ried woman is the nationality of her hus- | band If before her marriage she was English she would become American upon marrying an American. These women are now in strange positions. If they they cannot do so without a passport. If they wish to go to France to see their husbands they must have passport. The British government does not recognize their husbands as British subjects, hence lthey cannot receive British passports. At l tho same time the American embassy here under the circumstances, cannot is- sue an American passport, for the hus- l hands may have surrendered American citizenship. There is one actual case of a lady whose husband is an officer with l the Canadians, and a surgeon at that. l who wants to go to France to see him. There is no objection to her doing so as he is stationed in a hospital at a point 1 where women may go. But she must have a passport Until the embassy hears further from Washington an American passport is out of the question. Without violating regulations the home office can not give British passport The upshot will doubtless be that the home office will be informal and give the lady a
 rass..
 It is likely that the state department