Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1922-07-10
Monday. July 10. 1922.
UNDER TWO FLAGS

According 10 the Jnited Stdtes
citizenship law OF March >. 1907,
am American woman who r1arries
a foreigner is no longer an Ameri-
can citizen. she belongs TO the same
nationality as her husband. The
various oomens clubs and organi-
cations in the United States have
been loud in their protests against
an American woman losing her ma
tionality through marriage.
The House OF Representatives
promptly championed the fair sex
and last week voted 2os to Q in
favor of the congressional measure
allowing American women who marry
aliens to retain their American citi-
zenship The bill has been submitted
10 the Secretary Of state before being
sent 10 tho Senate. Strange to say,
u has not occurred TO the promoters
81 the hill that there may be many
conflicts with treaty obligations and
foreign laws.
when IL comes 70 national allie
glance. IL the half and half" system
q good thing? So far as is known,
there are only two countries that
have ever adopted IL. Switzerland and
Germany. The law in Germany was
passed In 1911. There is an old say
an Enslishman." During the World
War. Germany put in practice her
theory OF once German. always
a German" And wasn't ii true that
either Germans who had become
nsturalized as American citizens or
German women who had married
American husbands. as a rule, lived
under cloud and we're looked upon
with suspicion by their American
nsAShbors. whether they deserved it
~ Dot? The idea OF any half and
half" loyalty TO the American nag
was popular with nobody.
The Washington Post cites some
International precedents. For in
stance. when years ago the daughter
~ Frank Work OF New York married
an Englishman. James Burke Roche,
M +. who afterwards became Lord
Formoy. Mrs. Roche. becoming dis
satisfied With her English hubby
proceeded 10 divorce him in the
American courts. The English courts
claimed that upon Mrs. Roche's mar
rage she became n British subject
aud tho English court. alone. could
legally grant a divorce. When one
~ the English society papers stated
that his wife had divorced him. he
brought a suit for SANDER against
the publishers and collected heavy
damages. The English courts sus-
tnined his case on the ground that
there had been no legal separation.
To cite another case. that Of Earl
Russell. He had married an English
wife, but he came to America, OBJ
tanned divorce in this country, and
married Miss Marion Sometville, an
American woman-or at least, he
thought he had married her. The
House Of Lords proceeded to sem
tcnce him 10 a term OF Imprisonment
for bigamy
In many foreign countries, women
arc greatly restricted in regard TO
the control and disposal OF their
property. Legally, child is of
the same nationality as his father.
American women marrying foreigners
need not expect 10 have American
children any more than Impoverished
foreign ladies of rank marrying rich
American husbands. may expect 10
have foreign children with titles OF
peerage attached.
An Augusta resident has also men,
toned another instance in which a
brilliant American woman with a
taste for politics had married a
Canadian and was living In the State
OF Maine. In this particular case
the Canadian husband intended to
permanently live in the United States
apd although he really wanted to
vote himself, he was hog headed
and Just to prevent his wife from
voting and perhaps entering the
political arena. he wouldn't get
naturalizcd
Those who have Travelled the world
over say that the American husband
10 the model husband. Can't the
American girl find a husband who
10 an American citizen?