Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-10-21
NATURALIZATION Of
WOMEN EXPLAINED
BY CIRCUIT CLERK
JOHN |. WlTZEMAN ISSUES
STATEMENT GOVERNING STAT.
US OF FEMALES WHO WE'D AL.
len HUSBANDS.

Since the change in the naturali2a.
ton laws by congress Sept. %. county
officials have been swamped with IN
dutries by residents of the county, as
To their status OF citizenship. The
approaching election has kindled the
interest all those feel that the
new laws have affected thcm.
Circuit, Clerk John l.. Witleman,
who Is unquestionably th2 best au-
thority on naturalization matters in
La Sale county was asked to make
an explanation of the laws governing
the citizenship of women residents Of
the United States. He has construed
the act, and made a very concise and
instructive explanation of il which
reads as follows:
by an act of congress approved
Sept %, 1922, 1t is provided that at.
ter the passage OF that act the mar
riage of an alien woman TO an Ameri.
can citizen, or to an alien who may
thereafter become citizen shall not
confer American citizenship upon her
, 1t Is also provided that after the
passage Of said act a married woman
who Is otherwise eligible shall have
the privilege OF becoming naturalized
on her own account Citizenship ac.
quired by women through their ms.
bands by virtue of law in force prior
to the passage Of the act of Sept. %
is not affected by the new legsla.
ton.
THE two principal classes Of mar.
ried women specifically referred to in
the above legislation, with the means
each class must take in order to ac.
quire American citizenship are de-
scribed as follows:
81. An alien woman marrying an
American citizen after the passage of
the above act, or any woman whose
husband is naturalized after said
act
She may become naturalizod by H.
filing the usual petition for natur,lza.
ton and complying with all require
ments of the naturalization laws with
the following exceptions:
"ta) No declaration of intention
required.
"(b) Only one years continuous
residence in the United States, lIa
wall Alaska or Porto Rico immedi
ately preceding the filing of her petit.
ton required.
g. woman who, before the pas.
sage OF the above act, was an Amer.
can citizen and lost her United States
citizenship by marriage to IN alien.
She may become naturalized by iii.
Ing the usual petition for naturaliza-
ton and complying with all require
ments Of the naturalization laws, with
the following exceptions:
ta) No declaration Of intention re-
quired
tb) Only one years continuous res.
idence in the United States Hawaii
Alaska or Porto Rico Immediately
preceding the fling of her petition
required
tc) No certificate or arrival requir--
ed if during the continuance of the
marital status she shall have resided
within the United States
IAN alien woman married TO an
alien at the time Of the passage of
the above act, or who thereafter mar.
ries an alien may become naturalized
by complying with al requirements
OF the nature lizaton laws. including
declaration five years continuous
United States residence. one year
continuous state residence. certificate
OF arrival if her entry dates from
June 80, 1906, ability to speak the
English language and sign her name
in her own handwriting, etc.
"The status of single alien wOm
en- is not affected by this law, and
women of this class may continue
as in the past to file declarations and
petitions for the purpose of becoming
naturalzed.
The act referred to further pro-
y1des that no married woman whose
husband is not eligible to citizenship
shall be naturalized during the CON
tinuance OF the marital status, and
that she herself must be eligible to
citizenship. Eligibility for citizen
ship is determined almost entirely by
the question of whether the persons
concerned are white persons" or
persons of African nativity or Afri-
can descent" as provided by section
2169, revised statutes. and whether
the husband is debarrod from citizen
ship, because of withdrawal of dec.
laration Of intention under the act
of July 9.191S, for the purpose of
securing immunity from military serv.
ice during the recent war
1T is further provided by the act
in question that a woman citizen of
the United States shall! not cease to
be citizen by reason Of her marriage
after the passage Of said act, unless
she makes formal remuneration of
her citizenship before a court having
jurisdiction over naturalization of ali
ems, but that any woman citizen who
marries an alien ineligible to citizen
ship shall cease to be citizen of the
United States"
Notice.