The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1915-05-27
...I Dull NATIONALITY.,

ii Whatever else may be said of
Theodore Roosevelt he is intensely
American in every thought and
feeling. In the Metropolitan Maya
ZINE for June he numerically scores
the department. of state for recent
ruling, in which it is virtually held
that foreign-born citizens of this
country, and their children in some
cases, have no rights which foreign
governments are bound to respect.
Last March, P. A. Lelong of New
Orleans, who was born in this
country and who has resided here all
his life, and whose father was a
native of France but naturalized
citizen of the United States, wrote
Secretary Bryan that he contem-
plated a business trip to France, and
I've wished to know if the French
government could hold him for mill
tary service. Robert Lansing, couD-
selor for the department of state,
wrote Lelong, under date of April 2.
that Article VII of the French civil
code states:
"That the following are French
men: Every person born of a
Frenchman in France or abroad.
''1t thus appears that you were
born with dual nationality, and
the department. cannot. therefore
give you any assurance that you
would not be held liable for the per-
Torrance of military service in
France should you voluntarily place
yourself within French jurisdic-
tion.''
Mr.. Roosevelt refuses to subscribe
to the un-American doctrine pro-
mulgated by the milk and water de-
partment of state. In these vigor-
Gus words he registers his dissent:
81 hold that it is the clear duty
of the national administration,
speaking for the American people,
Immediately to repudiate the doc
trine thus laid down by the depart
ment of state, that there are in our
country citizens-who are born with
a dual nationality. Two or three
years ago it was announced that
Germany had passed a law by which
she provided for her citizens, who
became naturalized in the United
States or elsewhere, the means OF
also retaining their German citizen.
ship, so that these men would pre-.
serve a dual citizenship, what the
department of state in this letter OF
April End last calls "a dual nation
atty T. -.--. W.. :-.-.. -. L.
II hold that it was the business of
our government as soon as this state.
ment was published to investigate
the facts, to require would-be citi.
zens to repudiate this law, and to
notify the German government that
we protested against and would re-
fuse to recognize it's action; that we
declined to recognize or acquiesce in
the principle of such dual citizen.
ship or dual nationality; that we
would hold naturaliZed citizens to
the full performance of the duties of
American citizenship, which were
necessarily exclusive of and inconsis-
tent with the profession of citizen
ship in or allegiance to any, other
nation, and that, in return, we
would extend the same protection to
this citizen that is extended to ma
tive-bo citizens.
"Such action was not taken. 1t
is reproach to US as nation that
it was not taken. We should not for
a moment tolerate the assumption
by Germany or by any other foreign
power. that foreign-born citizens OF
the United States can retain any
citizenship in or allegiance to the
country from which they came.
"BUt the present case is even
worse. It seems incredible that the
department of state can promulgate
the doctrine of dual nationality pro.
mulgated in it's letter above quoted.
1t is dangerously close to treason tc
the United States to hold that men
born here of foreign parentage, men
who have served in the militia in
this country, who vote and hold
Office and exercise all the other rights
of citizenship, and who in good faith
are and always have been A Americans,
should, nevertheless, be bland]y in.
formed by the-state department THAT
ifsthey visit: the countries in which
their parents were born they can be
seized, punished for evasion of: mill.
tary duty,. or made Ito serve in the