Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-12-30
THE HASKIN LETTER
SELF DETERMINATION
FOR WOMEN.
Nv Frederic J.. Haskin.

old theory that ana Wihe
are one person-snd that n per-
son is the mans soon to be
brought up to Congress for scrutiny
and revision.
The American has the
vote. barring an unexpected unfa-
vorable decision Of supreme court
and she is now training her guns
ON other determinations against her
sex. In this case the desired change
is that an American woman who
marries an alien shall remain an
American citizen, instead of sud
denly being transformed into a
Swede, Italian or Turk. or what
ever else her husband may be.
For years, it was an accepted
fact that a wife should go where
her husband went. have no inter-
ests Of any Importance except his
interests. automatically renounce
her citizenship for his. and In ev-
cry way become what the feminists
like to call a submerged person
atty. The laws have upheld this
creed. and the courts have enforced
1t. 1t apparently worked smoothly
enough so long as the great ma
jority of women stuck to fancywork,
poodles and pies.
Occasionally, a woman married to
a foreigner appealed to a state
court for the right to regain her
status as an American. Some
times the courts decided In her ia
yor. but generally against her. FL
nally, in 1907, Congress ended the
uncertainty in this particular mat
ter by a Federal law. The natur-
alization laws already provided
that an American man marrying a
Mexican girl thereby conferred on
her the full American citizenship.
The new law added to this decree
hat an American oma marrying
a Mexican, or any other foreigner
became a subject of his country.
'rnis act of 1907 was in accordance
with common law and most OF the
state courts, and Congress doubt
less thought that the controversy
was settled forever.
But ever then, women were be-
ginning to demand a place in bust
ness life, and the limitations set
by the law were impressed forcibly
upon them. 1t was no use bringing
up individual cases in court. for
the act was Enthusiastically clear.
Women affected by the law of 1907
have protested in increasing num-
bers ever since it was written, but
nobody paid much attention. ever
during the war, when a number of
American girls lost their property
and their homes and were in gen.
eral treated as enemy aliens.
But now. with the power of the
vote back OF them women's organ-
izations have begun to work for a
new law.
Both the big political parties
promised independent citizenship
in their platforms" says one Of the
women politicians. Heretofore. |
platform promises haven't meant
much. We want proof that things
are different now"
Two Bills Offered.
Two bills have been drafted, one
by Representative Rogers of Mass
which leaves the citizen
ship of a American m the
same after marriage to a foreigner
as before. so long as she retains her
in this country. The bill
makes it necessary for the
woman marrying an American |
to take out naturalization pa
IL she is to become q citizen of
country. BY the present natu-
law it Is impossible for a
sc ANo oAto " eanO Oob
papers. Her citizenship is
decided. except in a
few instances when Congress has
passed special bills restoring Amer |
lean born women to citizenship at
their request for some particular
reason.
The other bill before Congress
introduced by Representative
Anthony of Kansas. a nephew of the
Susan B. Anthony. Rep
resentative Anthony's bill would al
American women now married
to aliens in the United States to re-
gain their citizenship by legal pro-
cedure. For the future the bill pro-
vides independent citizenship for
women.
A number of women's organiza-
tions r backing these bills. The
of the American Revolu-
ton recently passed a resolution IA
the passage of them.
The National Woman's Party is
also interested in the proposed re-
form. Until its convention in Feb
ruary, however. the party cannot
take up any activities. Its reason
for existence was to work for the
suffrage amendment, and 1t will be
for the convention to decide wheth-
er the party is to be dissolved or for
what aims it will exist in the fu-
ture.
The National League for Women
Voters, another body widely organ
lied for women's assistance in polit-
matters. has taken up the cud-
gel for independent citizenship for
women. This league is sponsoring
six bills in the interests of women.
and the Rogers citizenship bill is
one of the six.
The league does not know when
Congress will get to these bills.
There is reason to believe that Con-
gress wdll do little besides settle APP
preparations and routine matters at
the present session. But remem-
bering how long it took to get the
suffrage amendment through. the
women are not discouraged. They
have a more ~forceful argument in
the vote than ever had in tears,
smiles, or simple appeals to the con-
citizenship law will come. They
know that. What they r trying to
do is to hasten the last days of the
old determinations which work
hardship and sometimes suffering
on American-born women
International Marriages.
The existing discrimination, so
far as citizenship Is concerned. af-
fects only married women. but there
have been a great many of these
No seems to know exactly how
many American girls marry for
eigners. 1t has been estimated that
since the war 10000 alien women
have become Americans by marry
Ing American men. There is. no