The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-03-11
JAPAN PLANS
RELEASE ON ITS
AUTHORIZATIONS
Bill introduced in Diet Is Designed Il
Solve Troublesome Matter of Dou-
BILE Nationality, But II May
Not Succeed.

Not Succeed.
Toxic, March lin elaboration Of
the cabled announcement that the gov
eminent has introduced into the Diet a
measure designed to solve the trouble.
some matter of double nationality, as
applied to the japanese children born in
the United States, there are number
of details of interest to America.
The governments bill, as has been an
nounced, emphasizes the right of expat-
ration of japanese born in foreign lands
and provides that such expatriation in
wolves definitely loss of japanese ma
tionality.
/ One of the contentious of those seek
ing a more satisfactory assimilation of
the japanese residents in the United
States has been that Japan hindered that
assimilation by maintaining its legal
hold on male children born in foreign
lands. Birth of japanese in the United
States Is tantamount to the right OF
American citizenship, but the japanese
| law has never recognized the right OF
| Japanese born abroad to separate them
selves entirely from Japanese national
| ity. Thus arose the question OF dual
nationality" between the United States
and Japan just as it has arisen between
the United States and European coun-
tries where the old Roman law still OBJ
tains. The dual nationality" was al
legged to react against broader adapta-
ton of japanese residents in the United
States to American conditions and Amer
lean life.
Representative Japanese predict that
the pending bill will be adopted by the
Diet though it may meet with oppos
ton in the conservative House of Peers.
They explain that although the existing
japanese law provides for expatriation,
one clause OF the law renders expatria-
tion practically imperative because it
obliges male Japanese residents abroad
to serve their time in the japanese army.
Thus Japan in no way released its legal
hold on male japanese living in foreign
lands. This clause especially affected
California and Hawaii on account of the |
large number of Japanese resident in |
those places. The amendment offered in I
the Diet is believed to be way out of |
the difficulty and is regarded as a com
promise measure framed in such a way |
as not to excite direct opposition from /
Japanese army circles. The amendment |
gives the parents of Japanese children
born in the United States the right to
expatriate their children and if this
is accepted it means that
the clause relating to compulsory mill
tary service will not be operative. 1t II
indicates that the japanese government
endorses the right of American born Jap
anese to become citizens of the American
republic without any legal obligations to
their homeland. The step is regarded
here as a contribution of Japan to the
settlement of questions involving citizen
ship and race between the two countries.
The new measure provides that when
A Japanese woman by becoming the wife
Of a foreigner has acquired her hus-
bands nationality she loses her japanese
The bill provides that in case a Jap
inese subject, who has acquired foreign {
by reason of birth in a for
sign country, has domicile in that coun- {
Try, he may expatriate himself with the .
permission of the minister of state for I
nome affairs. The application for the /
permission shall be made by the legal I
in case the person ex- !
oatriating himself is younger than Is /
1ears of age. If the person in question
5 a minor above 10 years of age ad-
judged incompetent the application can
,nly be made with the consent OF legal
representative or guardian. A stepfa-
her, stepmother or a legal mother or
Guardian may not make the application
II give consent without the consent Of
he family council.
A supplementary provision declares
hat the date of the operation OF this
aw shall be determined by imperial ordi
ance.
The fact that a committee Of the
louise Of Representatives has ratified q
in which is of the same purport as that
ffered the government has created the
that the House will adopt
he governments bill
The japanese press Is pointing out the
International Importance Of the measure
nd expresses the opinion that its adop
ion will have a favorable effect on the
ositiOn Of japanese in America. The
bjection raised BY those Americans ex
ring themselves in the interest OF Jap
ne=e in the United States that their
forts were made difficult because Japan
stained its nationality over japanese
lere j. held BY writers % have been
sasonable and natural
Discussing the bill. the Japan Times
i'd. ~America IL finding 70 Der crst
hat dangerous thing is double or dual
ationality. az is seen in the conduct OF
lme German Americans since the ont
reak Of the war il Europe. In che lat
4 instance, the fault may be aid to Be [