The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-04-04
Complete Revision Of Them viii Re.
suit From the War, as They Are
Found to be #.
Faulty.
CITIZENSHIP TOO EASY
May Pass Measure Similar to Call
fornia Anti Alien Land Law,
Objectionable to the
Japanese.
(By a United Press Staff Correspond,

tBy a United Press Staff Correspond
emil
PARIS, March "a. (By mail TO New
York -One Of the first legislative re-
suits in France of the present war is
to be the complete revision OF all
existing laws for the naturalization of
foreigners as French citizens.
French citizenship, which in the
past was not only easy to, obtain but
was likely to be thrust onto an I'M
suspecting foreigner of military age
if he did not keep his eyes open, is
hereafter to be guarded most jealous
ly.
While all France is determined on
this change, the problem neverthe-
less is presenting some difficulties.
For the time being the government
which has been aroused in France
against the spy system alleged to
have been exercised for years past
by naturalized French citizens Of Ger
man origin, has resulted in the
swapping of the chamber of deputies
with scores of proposed laws That
threaten to go to the opposite ex-
tremes of severity from that of the
| leniency of the past.
To offset this, the more serious
minded members of parliament are
now insisting that for the moment
only temporary notifications be en-
acted These would prevent further
naturalization under some rather odd
laws already in existence, would de-
prive those Of their rights who obtain
their citizenship fraudulently and
would enable the government to de-
fend the country against those who.
exercising their rights as French
citizens and enjoying the full freedom
Of the country, are suspected of TAX
ing advantage of it, to supply their
original fatherlands, now at war with
France, with information.
1t Is proposed that these temporary
measures be made effective merely
until the treaty Of peace Is signed.
After that, it is urged that the ques-
ton Of naturalization of foreigners in
lall countries be made a matter large
lily on international treaty.
While there Is every indication that
this will be the immediate solution,
despite fiery debates to the contrary
in the chamber of deputies, there are
one or two existing laws that will
unuuestionably be repealed at once.
since 1889 there has been effective In
France a law on automatic naturali-
cation which at that time was con-
sidered most ingenious and desirable.
1t provided that any one born In
France of foreign parents, still resfd-
ing there at the age Of 81, became a
French citizen unless at that time he
took formal steps to retain the c1tl-
zenship of his parents country and
performed his military service to
that government ...'
While it is asserted that in the ma
jority of cases in the past. the young
men to whom this law was applicable
succeeded in taking advantage Of it
to evade the military service both of
France and their parents country,
that for the moment is not the worst
rub. There are now concentrated in
various cities of France, large num-
Der Of German, Austrian and other
foreign families who failed to leave
France the day following the declara-
ton of war as ordered to do
These families are persisting In
having children, and in having chill
dren in accordance with the birth
rate of their home countries than
with that Of France. Any of these
children, who at 81 years later hap
pen to be in France at the moment
would have the right to become
French citizens. The public sentiment
in France at the moment is Of the