Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-07-01
TO REPATR|ATE MEN
! Who FIGHT WITH ALLIES
Bills Before Congress to Restore Citi-
zenship to Americans Listed
!! in European Armies.

"Many thousands of Americans who
have been fighting with the French,
British, Canadian and italian armies
against the Teutonic allies are vitality
Interested in the question of their repa-
triation, now that the United States has
enered the war" says war geography
bulletin. issued by the National Geo
graphic Society. from it's Washington
headquarters. And that the question is
one of almost equal concern to the wom-
en- of the country is indicated by the
fact that their chief champion in Con-
gress, Miss Rankin, member of the
House of Representative, from Mon
tana, has introduced a biz, providing for
the repatriation of American women who
have lost their citizenship by marrying
foreigners.
Are the men who have dedicated their
lives to the cause in which their own
country has now enlisted to be barred
perpetually from the privileges of
American citizenship? The answer is a
number of bills which have been intro
duced in Congress providing for r-:
repatriation of tho5e Americans who
have taken the oath of allegiance to any
foreign state in order to be enabled to
serve in the armed forces of such for
eign state which is engaged in war with
country with which the United States
Is at war.
Number Not Definitely Known.
TT is practically impossible to arrive
Mt any definite knowledge as to the
number of Americans who have lost
their citizenship by joining the forces
of the allies. but 1t has been roughly
estimated that fully 10000 have enrolled
under the standards of France and per-
-haps $4,000 under the flags of England
and Canada with a considerably smaller
number under the Italian banners
Some of the enlistments in the serv-
ice of the allies. before the entrance
of the United States into the struggle,
were accompanied by peculiar circum-
stances which are added incentives for
the immediate passage of a repatria-
tion Law. There have been. for ex-
ample. numerous cases in which per-
sons born in Italy but who have re-
sided most of their lives in this country
and have become American citizens
have received summons to join the
armies of their motherland.' with the
alternative of being listed as deserters
should they fail to respond. This odd
order has grown out of the fact that
the United States and Italy have never
come to a reciprocal treaty understand
and extradition.
Those Italian-born American citi-
Gems who received these notices were
compelled to choose between answering
the call and forswearinG allegiance to
their adopted land or else enduring
the odium of being posted as desert
ers.' with the penalty of never being
allowed to set foot in Italy again with
out facing the risk of arrest and court
martial. Thousands who decided to
return to their native lands and take
up arms against the Germans and Aus
TRANS when their class was called to
= the colors are among those who are
most earnestly interested in the passage
of a law which will permit them to re-
sumo their citizenship in the land of
their adoption. the land toward which
their loyalty has never swerved. even
though circumstances necessitated
their taking the oath of allegiance to
Q foreign state