Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-03-01
AMERICANS FIGHTING IN TRENCHES
BY FREDERIC J. mAsKIN.

OF the family. while the husband and
rather chascs Russians or argues with
Inc Eng iish on the western front I'm
Cincinnati, for instance. there is q
German bakery being run by the lady
of the house. Her husband and her
three sons are fghting for the red.
white and black. Incidentally It may
he noted that she lis making a success
OF the baking business
German Treaty Conditions.
There Is "A treaty between t;ermanv
and the United States providing that
German subjects who have become Cit
izcna OF THIS country shall be rccop-
niz"d as SUCH in Germany If they have
lived III the United states for five
years. But II such a citizen cmigrat-
co after he was enrolled as "A recruit
III the standing army. or while he was
on leave OF absence during the resu-
lar service period which every Ger
man must render, or II he was In the
reserve. and left after his line" was
warned or called on. he is liable To
trial and punishment on his return,
even If h" has his American nut,iral-
xa'ion papers.
Many Germans vino returned to the
ihthcrland to fight have done so on ac-
count OF strong pressure exercised nv
tn" relatives they left behind them.
one naturaliAcd German Of pcnusyl-
wanna who had married AN American
girl was induced by letters from his
mother in Germany To cross the At
lan'tc and enter the army. After three
months service he was badly wound
ed. and his former employer brought
him back TO Pennsylvania. His right
arm mad TO hc amputatcd. and he Is
now employed AZ watChinan in tho
plant where lac WAS formerly IA skilled
laborcr. Tho question OF his citizen
ship is still being debated
IN some Instances, men who no IN
serve IN the European armies sUrrcnd-
or their naturalization papers The
state Department sends these papers
TO tho stat" court by which thcy were
issued, which has power To dctcrnin.
whether 81 no the citizenship conferred
by ia" papers shall he cancelled How
ever compare lively few such paper.
hav" been received. The men who 20
hick evidently intcud To resume their
American citizenship when tho war ia
over Th" Immigration authorities do
NOT ASK an American returning from
Europe what hc has been doing over
ih"r" II has been recommended In
general terms that our neutrality *
'cni I" All citizens. hut no ACTIN steps
arc taken by the Immigration Bureau
t" dctain those who have been Join
Ing in Tho war -amc
Russian mud Turkish Inv,
Turkey and Russia take a highly Sc.
Yer" attitude toward such of their sun
l"ciS as sec fit 10 transfer their ale
glance. y russian subject who natu-
raiiZc3 under another government has
committed an offensc for which he
can be arrested and punished on his
return 10 Russia. unless he first gets
permission to return from the Cars
government Tho United States dis
sents from T:ussias position in tho
matter. but a former Russian citizen
who returns TO Russian soil puts him
self within the jurisdiction OF Russian
law. IL he conccals the fact Of his
American naturalization. this govern
mcnt is under no obligation to protect
him while he is in his native land.
The laws of Turkey also forbid a
Turk who has naturaliZcd In another
country to return to Turkey, under
penalty OF arrest and imprisonmcn;,
or AT best, expulsion Here. too ihc
United States disscnts. but, in the ga
scncc of "A treaty with Turkey cover
ing the point, cannot guarantee 20 lis
naturalized Turkish citizens that they
Will not be arrested or expelled when
they 60 home.
The most interesting angle Of The
situation from the American pon, OF
view is the future status OF all these
soldier citizens on their return TO the
United states. Several such cases are
already before the courts. Tor instance"
there is an American from Detroit who
served In the British army. He cane
back to this country ON the promise
Of employment and was arrested IN.
der the alien contract labor law, on
the ground rlat his citizenship was
forfeit llis/ case is being tried. and
is attracting especial attention on ac-
count Of the precedent 1t will estab-
lish.
Taken in round numbers, small
army OF Americans have enlisted un-
der various warning banners. but,
COMPARED with our whole population.
especially our f8tal population Of alien
birth. tho number OF these lighting
Americans is surprisingly small. lis
smallness is striking demonstration
Of the rapidity with which our immi-
grants become genuine citizens in
heart as we'll as in name