The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1918-05-16
NAY GO OVERSEAS SOON
Fights Long Battle for Citizenship In
order to Get a Chance to Serve In
the Army and Aid in Work of De-
feaSing the Huns "over There,

N. e. Wahlberg, chief engineer of
offered a commission as a major in the
United States army and he has wired
his acceptance Of the commission and
il today arranging to leave within
few days for Washington to accept the
commission and prepare himself for
immediate overseas service, probably
with the ordnance department.
Major Wahlberg is one of the best
known engineers in the automobile
business in the United States and his
fight to get into service Of the nation
in the battle against the hun has been
one which has been watched with a
great deal of interest by many patriotic
citizens in Kenosha.
Just as soon as the United States
entered the war against Germany,
Major Wahlberg offered himself for
service, but when an investigation was
made it was found that he could not be
commissioned in the army on account
of the fact that there was some cloud
on his application for citizenship. A
clerk in a naturalization Office had made
an error in the making out of his first
papers. Aided by q. W. Nash, Mr..
Wahlberg went to Washington and
sought to rectify the error and at the
last term of the Circuit Court the ques-
tion of his naturalization came before
Judge Belden. At that time he made
an earnest plea to the court to grant
him his papers as full citizen of the
nation that he might accept service.
Judge Belden, after a long considera-
tion of the case, handed down a deci-
sion admitting Wahlberg to citizenship
and the fact that he has been named
for a commission as major is the first
word that the decision of the court
has been sustained by the federal
government.
Major Wahlberg will take with him
into the army long experience as an
engineer. He started his work as an
engineer in Switzerland and after he
came to this country he became con-
nected with General Motors Of which
IN
that time. He was active in the work
of that company and designed several
very successful products. More than
a year ago he joined the Nash forces
and he has had much to do with the
designing of the trucks and pleasure
cars and working out big engineering
problems of production.
The high commission offered to Mr..
WaElberg came as distinct surprise
to him. He had sought only an oppor-
tunity to serve and had made no sug-
gestion that he be named as q major.
''Maybe [ can get a commission as a
second lieutenant he told his frienJ,s
"and this would give me chance
to service"
The commission that has been offer
ed to Major Wahlberg is the highest
commission offered to any Kenosha
man since the opening of the war; 1T
is certain that his services viii be of
greatest value to the government.
Just as soon as he receives the
formal commission he will go to Wash
ington and as there is great demand
for such service overseas it is expect
ed that he will leave for France prob
ably within q fortnight
At the Nash factories today there
was great rejoicing over the govern
ment Is recognition of the abilities of
Major Wahlberg as since coming to
Kenosha he has been one of the most
popular men connected with the great
Nash organization.