Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-05-26

CITIZENSHIP is
REVIEW TOPIC
Wus Endorsed at First C0nceR-
ton of League of WOm-
en- Voters.
RY CONSTANCE DRExEL.

WASHINGTON, May 2o.-As al eA-
ample of progressive legislation obtain
able through method.cal use OF the po-
lftical parties, even as they are at pres
enT, the history Of independent citizen
ship for women, which it is now conf
IDENTIFY expected Congress Will pass this
session. is timely.
The principle of independent citizen
ship for married women was endorsed
ut the first convention Of the League of
Women Voters in Chicago, February,
1920
1t will be remembered that delega-
ito. of league members, both Democrats
and Republicans, led b. Mrs. Maud
Wood Park, went to 10th national con-
ventions IN Chicago ana San Francisco.
That was before the final ratification Of
the suffrage amendment. but the women
thought they might nevertheless ask that
certain principles be incorporated in the
party platforms.
Among those principles were protec-
ton for maternity and infancy and the
independe I citizenship for women. the
former prlneiple. incorporated In the
Sheppard Towner bill. has since been
passed by the Congress Of the United
States through pressure Of the Admins
tration in power.
Now the League OF Women Voters ana
several other organizations affiliated with
tie womens joint congressional commit
tee are focusing on independent citizen
ship for married women
Miss Marian Parkhurst, the able leg
tslative chairman OF the League OF Won,
en- Voters, who predicted the passage e
the Sheppard -TowGer bill in the last
session OF Congress, Is equally certain
this principle will be passed by Con-
Eress this session.
Through efforts OF women described
above, the 1920 platforms Of the two
major political parties incorporated the
principle as follows:
Republican: We advocate the fndepend-
ent naturalization of married women. An
American woman resident in the United
States should not lose her citizenship by
marriage with an alien.
Democratic: We advocate Federal iegis-
iatton which will insure that American
women residents in the United States. but
married to aliens, shall retain their Amer
lean citizenship, and the same Process o.
adjudication shall be required for WON
en- as for men.
Now, what the women are doing is TO
dansIe these prediction promises in
front of Congress. THAT is something
new in politics Men have been won't 10
reel off miles Of fine sounding pledges
confident the voters would forget all
about them after election.
sNot so the women. They want the pre-
election promises enacted into legislation.
That's logical, isn't Il:
The woman citizenship bills which the
women are now backing are: Rogers bt1l
Oh. r ~, introduced April ii. 1871
(StilI IN House committee on tmaigra-
tom.
curtis bin Senate cs2sl. introduced
Dec y. 1921 Same provisions rs Rogers
bill fstiu in Senate Committee on Imni-
gratioul.
The Curtis and Rogers bulls provide
that:
i. An American born woman retains
her citizenship as long as she is resi-
dent of the United States unless she re-
nounces it, even If she marries AZ alien
2 An American woman loses her cfti-
zenship Il she marries man who cannot
be naturaIized q. e, is IF certain excluded
races. or if she rnarVtes an alien While
a non resident herself.
> T. an American horn woman hvinG
III Inc United States has already lost her
American citizenship by marrying an
alien. on her petitioniug for it. she may
be naturalized by a shortened process.
z
will still be a citizen Of the United States
unless she chooses otherwise. The same
rules will apply to both men and women
while they reside abroad.
b 4 married alien woman who wishes
to become citizen Of the United States
may do so irrespective of whaL her hus-
band does.
6. An. alien woman VIII not be given
United states citizenship by marrying
citizen If the United States. She must
become naturaIlzed Nfrself-
Z. 1 married foreign born woman al
ready citizen of the United States be
cause of her marriage TO a United States
citizen retains her citizenship To the
United States unless she renounces Il.
& Foreign born women who have al
ready bec@tne citizens Of the United States
by marrying citizens Of the United States
will remain citizens unless they ren0unce
citizenship.
o. Forefg. born women married or sin
gle. will he naturaIized just as men are
when they meet the requirements.
These bills Will not effect the citizen
ship Of ans foreign-hoFa woman now
CITIZEN unless she chooses.
The Curtis ard Rogers bills are now
being iudorsed by women in preference
to the Johnson hill II. Z. 1oSG0l intro
ducef March IL 1922. and described in
these dispatches AZ that time and ii pref
erence to the Shertridge bill IS 3t03i in
trodace,l April ). 1922, because these bills
revrite the entire naturalization code as
wei as include direct citizenship for mar
rfed women. In other words, the Curtis
and Rogers bills are specifically for the
one purpose.-tCopyright, 49,, by Public
Ledger Company.