The Denver Jewish news., 1919-07-23
ALIEN Jews.

j -
States concerning some supposed re-
cent decisions by courts and a,lurnis-
trativ. tribunals. regarding the nation
ality, in the eyes of the law, of Jews
If the United States and Europe. Err
!, roneous accounts of such supposed
wartime rulings were widely publish
cd in our American Jewish press last
fall, and In some instances were the
subjeer Of long editorials. Enve just
furnished the actual facts. l,;sed upon
Il recent investigation of my own to
Year Book so that the errors will no:
.ha perpetuatcd there; but 1t occurs to
me that the prevailing mis-apprclcn-
sion ought to be corrected in your col
nmns also.
A supposed ruling of the Supreme
Court of the United States. in the case
of Samuel Lehman, Of weehawken
y. j. to the effect that German Jew
is not to be reckoned as II German
under our naturalization laws. was re-
ported in the American Jewish News
on September 10th, 1913, and numer.
GUS other American Jewish papers
since. No such ruling was made and
10 such case was decided by the United
States Supreme Court. The fact was
that judge. holding an inferior, mjii-
CT court in New Jersey. on application
for naturalization under the Act of
Congress OF May Sth, 1918. authorizing
the naturalization of Germans during
the war. granted the petition in the
ease of German Jew, and expressed
his personal view that the fact that
applicant was a Jew, tho of German
extraction, was ground for exercis-
ing his discretion in his favor. In
tact. under the statute. applicant WIS
compelled to swear that he abandoned
his allegiance to the Emperor of Ter
many, SO that no ruling was made rec
o.nizing any different nationality on
other German. The British Alien -ld
yisOry Committee. of whicn Mr.. Justice
Sankey was chairman. reached precise
~ the same conclusion with respect
to German Jews in England. according
to the Jewish Chronicle" OF London
of September 9th, 191S. There the
converse case arose and the Commits
sion properly decided that German
Jews are to be regarded as German
allen enemies, and not to be diffcrcii-
iiated from other Germans. by reason
cf their faith. More comment arose
regarding u decision by this British
|stoihhsfssi5di!S "a l6S ne sisfafsss sof
Jews of Eastern and Central Europe.
1t was originally announced in the
london Jewish Chronicle and el.c.
where. that the Alien Advisory Com
lnittee had held that nOn-Jewish Poles
nre friendly aliens In England, while
Jewish Poles were to be regarded as
enemy aliens. Under date of October
-. 1918, the London Jewish Chroni-
Gle" published an Official statement
ley Mr.. BrOdrick. Secretary i-Of the
Commission. which explained that sep.
arate committees of the Commission
had been appointed to consider the
status Of Polish Jews and Polish nom
Jews. The latter committee reported
first, to the effect that non-Jewi-l b
Poles were not to he regarded as alien
enemies. Az the other committee had
not vet reported. the mistaken impress
sion became current that contrary
conclusion had been reached with re-
spect to Polish Jews. Neither in the
United States nor in Western or Cen
tral Europe. does the law recognize
my other citizenship for the Jew
than that of the country Of his dom
icile.
Very truly yours.
atxy 4 KnTtJER