Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-09-21
NEUTRAL SUBJECTS
AND ARMY DRAFT
fBy Edwin Bjorkman.)

(By Edwin BjOrkman.
Reports that neutral subjects are
being forced to serve IN the Ameri-
can army caused considerable ex-
.citement abroad and especially in
Sweden. Some OF this excitement
has been based on misinformation.
Mostly 1t has sprung from a\com-
plete misunderstanding; Of the situa-
ton over here.
When somewhat than a year
ago, this country began Its prepara-
lions for meeting German militarism
on its own grounds by the congress
sional enactment. of a draft law all
men of military age (21 to By were
required to register regardless of
their being American citizens or not.
Such a provision is clearly within the
rights Of any nation and must not
be construed as an attempt to force
military service upon foreigners. In
ESweden, for instance, every person,
whether a. citizen or q foreigner, has
to register. (.
Taking 1t all in all, the registra-,
ton caused very little difficulty, the
great majority OF the foreigners
within our borders understanding it
Iby reference to home conditions and
Exceptions that occurred, were most
ly traceable to syndicalistic or pro.
|German agitation based on a COM
plete Misrepresentation of the OBJ.
jects underlying the law.
A Separate Glass for Neutral Aliens.
AS the registration was followed
by the actual drafting of eligible
military age were placed apart in q
class by themselves leaving them
outside the workings Of the law. In
this connection, however, there arose
d difference Of opinion as to the
proper distinction between foreign
subjects and American citizens. In
other words, we had, n have,
tween those who Owe no allegiance
whatsoever to this country and those
who have completely transferred
their original allegiance to the Uni
ted States. These are the men who
have taken their first papers, but
! who have not yet obtained theirs
second or final documents of nat
u%ralization. SO
Roughly speaking, our laws pro-
vide that, to become an American
citizen, the former subject of a for
eign power must first of all file a
declaration of intention" which.
after q certain number of years and
the fulfillment of certain conditions,
entities him to obtain a final decree
VI NATURALIZATION. LIE UlIlOllS CIdF-
acter of the initial declaration is not
generally understood. 1t constitutes,
in fact, an oath Of allegiance which,
in itself, should suffice to change the
legal status Of the nan taking it. Ad-
ministered to a Swede, for instance,
it runs in this ways.
Il hereby declare, on oath, that I
absolutely n entirely renounce and
abjure, all allegiance and fidelity to
any foreign prince, p%otentate, state.
or sovereignty, and particularly to
Gustavus V, the king of Sweden, of
whom I have heretofore been a SUBJ
ject; that I will support M defend
the constitution and laws Of the Uni
ted States of America against all IN
emies, foreign and domestic; and
that I will bear true faith and all
legiance to the same" \
Amendment to Draft Law.
Under the law as amended, liabil-
ity to military service still falls on
men of military age who have filed
their declaration to become Amer
lean citizens, but such liability can
be escaped by a withdrawal Of the
declaration. In other words. q
Swede Of Is, say. who has previously
obtained his first papers," need only
report to the proper authorities that
he wishes to return to his original
status as a. Swedish citizen. He is
then automatically placed outside the
provisions Of the draft law.
privilege. a. record Of his case ls TAX
en- and filed for future reference, SO
that, if he should ever again try to
obtain American citizenship, it may
be used against HIM Under an adj
%ditional provision OF. the draft law
no man who has escaped it by a
withdrawal Of his original "declara-
| tim ~ {rfortSorbS - rvN l>N>~.
an American citizen.
There can be no question about the
business Of this provision. The man
whose oath has proved SO little worth
In the past cannot be expected to
prove more faithful in the future.
land a man who is not willing to
stand by this country in its hour Of
ton when the crisis is past.
Here and there a voice OF, protest
has been raised among the natural-
lied Swedes of the United States. It
does not represent the feelings of the
overwhelming majority Of the race in
feelings to offer as basis for this
opinion. Since the beginning of this
year. I have visited Jul largest swe-
dish settlements as far west as Dem
yer. I have talked with Swedes of
every possible ,claAs and trade and
type and positton-from leaders like
Ex-Governor John Lind Of Minnesota
or Chief Justice Harry Olson OF Chit
cago down to obscure but clear-mind-
ed~and honest-hearted workmen and
farmers. I have asked them what
they thought of these young men of
Swedish blood who a little while ago
were SO eager to be classed as, Amer
~icans, and who today-at this mo-
ment Of supreme national emergency
---have suddenly discovered that they
prefer to remain Swedes politically
as well as racially. While the an.
swers received have differed widely
in form, their spirit has been identi-
cal in every single case.
NInllAM NNIn MAZE