The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1916-12-16


Judge Sessions. OF the United States
district court al Marquette. has iiled
a decision which means, in short. that
IL Is possible for man who has de
clared his intentions uf becoming a
citizen of the United States. and who
has taken out his naturalization pa
pers. 10 be absent from the United
States for period of even more than
three years. and still retain legal
right TO citizenship
The decision referred 20 Is that filed
by Judge Sessions December in the
case OF Jorgen Jorgenson OF Lake Lin
den, superintendent of dredging oper-
atoms for the c. & III. Mining company,
who was the defendant in suit
brought last December by the United
States Bureau OF Naturalization. the
bureau seeking 10 have the defend
ants citizenship papers cancelled
The claim OF the bureau was that
during the three years preceding the
granting OF his naturalization papers.
Mr.. Jorgenson had not lived in the
United States, as required, but had
been employed during that time in the
Panama Canal zone by the Panama
Canal commission.
Judge Sessions held in his decision
OF the case that because the defendant
had established legal residence in
New Jersey, and because lie had never
given up that legal residence and also
had never given up his intentions OF
becoming "A citizen OF the United
States, his legal residence remained
in New Jersey, even when he was en-
ployed In the Panama Canal zone In
short, the decision held that Mr. Jor
genson is entitled TO legal residence
OF three years in the United States |
preceding his naturalization.
Was n Test Case.
The case against Mr.. Jorgenson.
which has been watched with great in
terest in the copper country and other
parts OF the upper peninsula. where
large numbers of aliens are constantly
applying for citizenship. was brought
by the bnreau OF naturalization as a
test case in an endeayor II Is under
,f the Panama Canal zone. In other
words. the bureau desired 10 have
decision as to whether an
,lien's residence In the canal zone,
when employed by the government,
VAS equivalent TO residence in the
United States.
Judge Sessions decision In the Jor-
senson case, however, does not touch
ipon this feature or the case in any
way and because OF this the bureau
las not yet gained its point
The bureau. however. when 1t was
Inown that tho decision was not like
y 10 touch upon the canal zone phase
Il the tangle. insisted that the case be
ought out because OF the fact that
lever before had case Of this nature
risen where the defendant had been
bsent from the United States for so
ong period as Sir. JorEenson had
cen. Mr. Jorgenson was absent from
his country for three years and three
lonths. 1t Is understood that previ-
us to this case there had never been
u instance where the defendant in
imilar case had been out OF the coun-
" for more than eighteen months.
ecause OF the unusual time period
lyolved in the Jorgenson case II was
one OF Importance.
The story of Mr. Jorgenson's fight
n retaining of his citizenship in the
nited States is most complex and
teresting.
He il Norwegian by birth and up
I coming TO this country he became
lgaged I'm the building and operation
dredges. He had not been here
any years before he became an ex-
,rt at his work and was employed on
any Jobs where great skill In dredge
Hiding and operating was required.
o.