Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1920-06-23
new PASSPORT
REGULATIONS
ON JULY FIRST
Aliens Will Be Required to
Pay Fee Totalling $40
Is Good for Two Years.

Onlltu NtdltS 1ofsui oiiDtfi II.
Wilson has received from the state
department at Washington, copy of
the new regulations affecting pass
ports for citizens and visacs for aliens
which 90 into effect on July !. and
which provide fees totalling $40 for
each passport issued or each wise com
pleted. The passport or wise will be
good for period of two years instead
Of six months, as heretofore.
Present passports will have TO be
reissued under the new regulations
as fast their time limits expire. So far
as ut present advised, the regulations
do not affect border permits issued
American citizens for travel within
the forty mile zone along the border.
The fee. while its total appears
, large, is actually less than the Mex
can governments fee for visaeing
passports. At present the Mexican
government is collecting $3.50. Ameri-
can money, for each wise, and the
visaes are good for only three months,
which il equivalent to $40 year.
The new American regulations take IN
the lump sum, and the wise holds good
for a period of two years.
1t is the opinion of consular Off
cials, however, that this is a step tow
ard doing away with the passport
regulations entirely, on this side OF
the river, and that it II probable that
after this first passport fee no future
collections of this sort will be made.
The new regulations are fixed IN
accordance with an act Of congress
dated June 4. 1920, and embodied IN
the diplomatic and consular service
bill.
The United States consulate IN
IMatamoros has issued the following
circular containing the regulations o.
outlined by the state department.:
"Soction |. From and after the lst
day of July, 1920, there shall be col
lected and paid into the treasury OF
the United States quarterly, fee OF
81 for executing each application for
a passport and 50 for each passport
issued TO a citizen or person owing
allegiance TO or entitled to the protec-
ton Of the United States.
"Section 2. From and after the
lst day Of July. 1920. there shall be
collected and paid into the treasury of
the United States quarterly fee OF
81 for executing each application OF
an alien for wise and and 50 for each
wise Of the passport Of an alien.
"Section 3. The validity Of pass
port or wise shall be limited TO two
years. unless the secretary Of state
shall by regulation limit the validity
of such passport or wise to a shorter
period.
Section 4. Whenever the appropri-
ate officer within tho United States of
any foreign country refuses TO wise
passport issued by the United States
the department Of state Il hereby au-
thorized upon request in writing and
the return Of the unusel passport
within six months from the date Of
issue. to refund 10 the person TO whom
the passport was issued the fees
which have been paid to federal off
cials, and the money for that pur-
pose is hereby appropriated end d.
rected TO be paid upont he order OF
the secretary of state.
Section ; Section Of the
act approved March 2, 1907. entitled
AN act in reference to the expatra-
ton of citizens and their protection
abroad (Thirty-fourth statutes at
large, part I, page .226D authoriz-
ing the secretary Of state to issue
passports to certain persons not citi-
zcns Of the United States. i hereby
repealed.
1T will be noted from a reading
of the first portion of Section | that
the department of state and diplomat
!ic and consular officers are required
to collect total fees Of $40 instead Of
50 as now required. for each passport
issued on and after the first day OF
July 1920.
Section 2 prescribeg similar to-
tai fee Of $40 for application and wise
of an alien passport-Sl for execut-
ing and the application and 80 for the
wise"