The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1918-02-21
Amendment Which May
Effect $4,000 Viii I'm
broue International Status


of the draft law to exempt citi-
zens or subjects of neutral countries
who have declared their intentions to
become American citizens is proposed
in a bill prepared by the War De-
partment in conjunction with the
State department and introduced to-
day by Chairman Dent of the House
military committee.
Secretary Lansing advised Mr..
Dent that the State and War de-
partment's "are strongly of the opin-
ion that the standpoint of interna-
tional relations it is highly undesir-
able that the existing law shoult
stand, unmodiied as evidence of the
disregard of treaty obligations and
even supposed rule of international
conduct heretofore observed by other
governments"
Secretary Lansing estimated that
Counting ont" citizens or subjects
Of treaty countries who it is assumed
should be exempted, the proposed
amendment would exclude about 49,
900 men.
Secretary Lansing's letter revealed
that many neutral countries already
have made insistent protests against
CONSUMPTION of their nations, caus-
ing embarrassment to the govern
mnt; that the President has found
it expedient for international rea-
sons to discharge from the army
neutral nationals under certain cir
cumstances, and that the present
law has been used abroad as me-
dunn of irritation by enemy propa-
gandists.
Secretary Lansing said the loss OF
man power involved seemed to him
"inconsequential in view of the
other considerations at stake in our
foreign relations.
cali aliens, Except enemy aliens)
who had declared their intention to
become American citizens, We're by
the selective service act, made liable
to military service in the same man
ner as citizens of the United States,
said the secretary's letter.
"The act contained no provision
preserving the treaty stipulations by
which this government had become
obligated to exempt the nationals of
Argentina, Costa RIGA, Honduras,
Italy, Japan, Paraguay, Serbia,
Spain and Switzerland from military
service in the United States.
, ct made the declaration of inten-
ton the termining factor of such
liability, although this government is
a party to several treaties which spec
cifcally stipulate that the declaration
of intention shall not of itself affect
in any way the nationality of the
declarant. And it is the rule of law
in the United States, supported by
the supreme court of the United
States decisions, that declaration
of intention does not confer American
citizenship on the declarant or re-
lease him from his prior allegiance.
Apparently there never has been any
intention on the part of the govern
ment to regard such persons, gener-
ally, otherwise than as aliens.
1T was to be expected, therefore,
that the Department of State should
eceive numerous and insistent re-
quests from the diplomatic represen-
tatives of neutral countries for the
discharge of their nationals who ha
been conscripted.
ION account of the number and in
sistence of such requests and consir
ering the grounds upon which they
were based, the President has four
it expedient in the conduct Of foreign
relations to indicate his willingness
to discharge neutral aliens in GER
tain circumstances, after they have
been brought to within his jurisdic-
ton as commander-in-chief of the
army by induction into the military
service.