Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1918-09-01
DRAFT STATUS
OF NEUTRALS
Explanation of Workings of
Law in Regard to Those
Are Half Way.
SWEOES PROVE LOYALTY
Little Difference in Opinion
as to Allegiance They Owe
United States.
lny EDWTN nLOnKMAN-


Reports that neutral subjects arc
being forced 10 serve in the American
army have caused considerable eX-
element abroad and especially I'm
sweden. Some OF this excitement has
been based on misinfurmation
Mostly Il has EprunR from a comrlct,
misunderstanding OF the situation
over here
When somewhat more than year
ago this country began lts prepare
tlons FOR meeting German iuilltarisr.
on iiS own grounds hy the cunKrca
aIOnnl enactment W draft law All
men ~ military age t2l 90 80 were
required 10 register regardless Of
their being American citizens or not
Such provision ls clearly within
fhe rights Of any nation aSd must NOT
De construed as an attempt "a force
military service upon foreigners. Ir
sweden, FOR instance. every person
whether citizen or foreigner. has
10 register.
Taking II all In ON tho registration
eauaed very iltt'o difficulty. tho gren,
majority OF the foreigners within our
borders undertaking Il hy reference
20 home conditions and obeylnp n
unFrudElnglv The Few exceBtionr
that occurred were mostly traceahie
20 syndlcallsiic Of pro-German agl-
iauon based on complete mlsrcu.
rcsertation Of the objects underIy.
ing the law
A Separate Class for Neutral Aliens
A. the registration was followed
Nv the actual drafting OF eligible
men into the army neutral aliens OF
mill'Ary me- were placed apart In
. Glass hH themselves leaving then,
outside the workings OF the law In
this connection. however. there
nrose a difference Of opinion ne TO
the proner distinction between for
"ign Subiccfs and American citizens
In other words. we had, and have
among MS q class ~ men standing
haf way between those who owe no
allegiance whais1over 10 this coun.
try ana thos' who have completely
trarsferret their original allegiance
20 the United states These are the
men who have taken their First
pQpors," but who have not yet oh
ialned their second" or final doc
uments OF naturalization.
Roughly speaking. cur inws nro.
vide that to become an American
ciuzrn the former subject OF a FOR.
declaration OF Intention" which.
after a certain number Of years and
the fuiflllmont OF certain cundl-
tl0nH entities him 10 obtain "A final
decree of naturalization The bind.
ing character OF the initial declarn.
hon IN not generally understood II
constitutes. IN fact an oath OF al.
leginnce, which, In Itself Hbouid
sutrce to change the legal stnsua OF
the man taking a. Administered 10
Swede. for instance. Il runs this
way
" hereby declare on oath. that 7
absolutely and entirely renounce
and abjure all allegiance and fldel-
ny 10 any foreign prince, potentate,
state or sovereignty. and particu-
hrly 20 Gustavus Y. the king Of
sweden. of whom I have heretofore
been a subject that | viii support
and defend the constitution and
laws OF the United states OF Amer
lea against all enemies, foreign and
domestic. and that | will bear true
fnlth and allegiance TO the same
Right of Suffrage Given Aliens.
Nor is IL enough TO reckon with
the wording ot this formula. Its
practical effects In the past must
also be taken into consideration, lr
most OF our states an the rights Of
citizenship except that OF voting At
public elections have been he.
slowed on every man subscribing
30 this declaration OF intentions
Until quite recently. most of the
western states gave him even the
right To vote on the same simple
cuuaditiOn. There are still six states
where n man having only his first
papers Is as much citizen as one
fully naturalized az long as he stays
within the state. States like Mime
sofa. which have only recently
changed their suffrage laws, are full
OF men who have lived there a lifc-