Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-25
BY CORINNE FRAZIER.

~ closed its annual session at
University. Va, recently, one
finds no more vitality interesting dis
cussion particularly from the stand
point of the women of the Nation. IMAM
that on nationality led by the enlight-
ening address of DR.. Emma Void. Sec
retary of the National Woman's Party
and a legal authority on the subject.
DR.. Wolds remarks clarity to the lay
mind the general situation as to the
nationality of both men and women
the world over, and bring to mind
sharply the necessity for consideration
of the problem in the approaching con-
ference at The Hague. She dwells at
length on the problems confronting
women because of widely diversified ma
tionality laws with regard to their sex.
The principal points In her speech
are quoted in the belief that they will
be of exceptional interest to all women
affiliated with national club groups or
organizations, most of which have a
definite policy in regard to the question
of nationality laws.
Nationality, the relation Of the In
dividual to his country, Is coming to
have a growing Importance in public
affairs" declared DR.. Void. so I'M
questionably accepted is this relation
that ordinarily one does not think
deeply or even consciously of 1t. Like
the air we breathe. it is not an object
of conscious thought until it fails. For
this reason the problems of nationality
are settled without much stir among
people as whole, though to many in
dividualS the solution of the problems
may have far-reaching consequences.
Whether we see its significance or
not, the subject of nationality, both in
war and in peace. Is one of most vital
importance to the members Of a ma
ton. On his or her nationality depends
a persons obligation to serve his coun-
try; on his or her nationality may de-
pend the right to stay in a country, to
go from 1t and re-enter it and move
about freely in it. to own land in it. to
earn living and even to enjoy certain
forms of recreation.
AT this moment the problems Of ma
tionality are attracting much attention
and receiving serious study because they
will soon be the subject of worldwide
conference. Upon the invitation of the
League of Nations. one of the first steps
toward meeting the need of codlhed
international law will soon be taken.
The conference to be called in the near
future at The Hague faces the task OF
drawing conventions for the govern
ments Of the world to ratify on three
subjects, one of which is that Of ma
tionality.
"What are the special problems Of
nationality that place this question
among those calling for immediate &C
ton looking toward uniformity?
because of varying factors upon
which the several governments base the
right of a person to claim its protec-
ton and his duty to render service,
there arise instances when an individ-
ual may claim and be claimed by diff
ferent states, two, three or even more.
Again there arise instances where an
individual has no nationality. is state
less or. in the language of the inter-
national jurist. 'heimatleSe.' This
means. in the one case. division OF
responsibility on the part OF the indi-
vidual to the state and on the part OF
the state to the individual; in the other
case. no responsibility.
I'VE are familiar in this country with
the conflicting claims of governments
where one government holds as un-
broken the ties of nationality though
its subjects have taken on allegiance
to another government by naturaliza-
ton. Such conflicting claims between
the United States and England gave
occasion for the War of 1912 and were
not conclusively settled until England
in 1870 by treaty conceded the right of
its subjects to take on new allegiance.
Save where naturalization Is recognized
by treaty agreements, naturalized
American citizens are still held liable
to service to their homeland by several
Southern European countries, and these
countries enforce such liability when
their former subjects step upon their
soil.
IN this country we are also familiar
with double nationality resulting from
the rule that the place of birth confers
nationality and the conflicting rule
that the nationality Of father falls
upon his child wherever it may be born.
Thus the child of Frenchman bern
in the United States may be claimed
as national by both France and the
United States.
I'VE are beginning to be familiar
also with the twofold nationality Iris
ing out Of different rules as to the
effect of marriage. In the United
citizens who marry certain aliens
Englishmen. we will say-retain their
United States nationality under our
law. but acquire British nationality au-
tomatically under the British law.
Thus, whether they are in this country
or in England, or anywhere else on the
earth. they are endowed with dual ma
tionality
"On the other hand, instances may
NC AOuHO Va SIdLclcSo pcISOLlS, ptuIFIO-
uals born without a country, taking ma
tionality from neither father nor moth
er nor from the -illegitimate chill
dren, perhaps, who under the law pre-
vailing in many countries are still held
to be the children of no one and are
also held not to take nationality from
the place Of their birth. Or Jney may
be individuals who, by many years of
residence out of the land of their origin
hot
atty and yet have failed to acquire a
new one. Or, in the case of women,
they may be held by their own country
to have lost their own nationality, but
the land of the husband may not eX-
tend its protection to them.
"A curious instance of the compli-
Gated problems of nationality has re-
Gently come to my attention, Of vital
Importance in connection with our i'm
migration law. refer to the
case of a woman born in Hungary who
came to this country with her husband
some 20 years ago. BY this naturaliza-
ton as a United States citizen she be-
came a United States citizen. After
divorce she married Hindu, and under
the provision of the Gable act, our mar
ried woman's citizenship act, which
DEGREES loss of United States citizen
ship by a woman who marries an alien
ineligible to citizenship land Hindu
falls in this group, she ceased to be
citizen of the United StatSe.
"A few months ago she wished to 20
to Europe on business trip. Being
an alien, she needed a permit to return
to this country. Under the immigration
law the woman who has lost United
States nationality by her marriage is
considered to have been boin n the
country of her husband. In this case
81 was contended that this woman, who
had never been in India, was ',everthe-
less bonn In India, and since. under