Evening star., 1940-03-17
Wars Emphasize Curious Law
Guarding Foreign Americans
Logic Holds Vague Place in Americas Nationality
Rules; New Legislation Urged to
Solve Discrepancies
By A ndras Beyding,
Associated Press Stan Writer.

Giuseppe Rossi, an italian wine mer-
chant travelling with his wife by leisurely
stages across the United States, paused
long enough at Chicago for his signora
to become the mother of . little boy,
Giovanni, and then returned to Italy.
Giovanni grew up regarding his acci-
dental birth in the United States as q
curiosity. Never able to return to the
New World, he eventually married an
Italian girl in Genoa and had five chill
dren, two boys and three girls.
Came the European war Of 1880, with
fear Of 1taly's involvement, Giovanni de-
cided to send all the children to the
United States. As visitors? No. As i'm
migrants? No. As American citizens!
Because that's exactly what they were.
All because their Grandmother Signora
Rossi's day CHANGED to come while she
was travelling In the United States
Their father, Giovanni, had been In the
United States only one month as an in
FAINT, and spoke no English. Their moth
er was an italian who had never been
in the United States. They themselves
had never been here and spoke no Eng
lish.
Italy Cannot Say Nay.
But they were American citizens Just
the same. And the American consulate
In Naples had no choice but to give them
passports. ....
Such is the nationality law Of the
United States which administration Of
hcials and some members Of Congress
are seeking to change.
thousands Of Europeans fearful Of the
war is squirting officials to press amend
ments to the nationality law. Chairman
Dickstein, Democrat, Of New York, Of the
House Committee on immigration and
Naturalization, has introduced a new
nationality code in collaboration with
the Departments of State, Justice and
Labor.
The present nationality laws, officials
declare. are shot through with anomalies.
Since 1884 the privileges extended to
males have been applied equally to fe-
males. II some Signora Rossi had given
birth to girl in the United States after
1884, the girl would have been an Amer
ican citizen and all her children Amer
ican citizens. too.
Take another case-Constantine Corr
anopoulos, Greek, who came to the
United States, became naturalized, made
Q fortune" Of $4,000, decided he had
enough and went back to Greece at the
end Of 1907 to enjoy his wealth among
the hills near Pireus. .....
Constantine found bride In Athens,
and in due time they had four children,
all born In Greece.
Now the law says that when q nat
uralized citizen goes back to the land Of
his origin and remains there more than
two years, he Is presumed to have lost his
citizenship.
Children Were Americans.
Constantine was in Greece for 80 years
and consequently was presumed to be no
longer an American. But when the
European war came, it was decided the
four children should come to the United
States and live here. Any trouble? Not
the slightest. They were, under the law,
American citizens.
If the children had been criminals or
Communists sworn to overturn the Amer
ican Constitution, the American consul
in Pireus could not have refused them
passports.
They were American citizens and, as
such, entitled by legal right to enter the
United States and live here.
Ofncials hark back to the prophesy of
James Madison, one of the fathers of the
Constitution, who argued at the first ses-
sion Of Congress that aliens might ac-
quire the right of citizenship, and return
to the country from which them came,
and evade the laws intended to encour-
age the commerce and industry of the
real citizens and inhabitants Of America,
enjoying at the same time all the ad-
vantages Of citizens and aliens"
The State Departments expert on ma
tionaity law, Richard w. Flournoy, wrote
recently:
There are thousands of persons resid-
ing In foreign countries who are Amer
ican In name only. It is bad enough
that the American-born parent should
retain American nationality after having
established himself or herself per-
manently in italy. Of which he or she
is also . national, and having married
IN italian. It Is still more absurd that