Evening star., 1940-03-17

the ItaHan-born children should also
have American nationality"
A committee composed Of the Secre-
tary Of State, the Attorney General and
the Secretary Of Labor, was appointed
by the President on April rs, 1888, to
draft . nationality code.
The bill embodying the new code was
not presented to Congress until last
year. But now that the war In Europe
has come at last, and thousands Of Eu-
ropeans are doing all they can to come
to America. officials argue that the new
legislation has become urgent.
New Code Needed.
To take care of cases like that OF
Giovanni Rossi, the code provides that
parent who is an American citizen must
have lived in this country at least 10
years in order that the foreign-born chill
dren shall have acquired American citi-
zenship.
To take care of cases like that Of Con-
stantine, the code provides that natu-
rallied citizens Of the United States shall
definitely lose their citizenship when
they reside for three years continuously
in the foreign countries from which they
came.
American heiresses who marry foreign
titles also will be embraced within the
new code. At present. an American
woman who marries British duke (for
instance) retains her American citizen
ship even though she chooses to call her
self duchess. Her children, even though
they acquire and accept British title. like
wise are American citizens, with certain
restrictions.
Under the new code, the children
would be required to live five years in
the United States before reaching the
age of 81 and to take an oath of alle-
glance to the United States to be con-
sidered American citizens after they come
of age. If, on reaching the age of IS,
they had not spent any time in the
United States, they would automatically
cease to be Americans.
The fundamental idea of the new code
is to prevent American citizenship from
clinging to a person like his skin when
he has clearly shown that he does not
want it and prefers some other national
ity.
Could Relinquish Protection.
1t is also designed to relieve the State
Department of protecting Americans
abroad who to all intents and purposes
have given up their citizenship. Protec-
ton Of day-in-day -out American citizens
may suffer in emergencies through the
rush Of what might be called bad wealth
er citizens" for protection.
The crisis that preceded the war, the
conflict itself and the crises that may fol-
low the struggle are believed certain to
bring thousands Of cases Of anomalous
citizenship to the attention of American
odicials.
Some of them furnish more dificulty
than cases of originary immigrants.
An immigrant, for instance, must be
able to prove he has never been convicted
of crimes involving moral turpitude. But
Giovannis children could come in with
trains of convictions.
An immigrant must be free of con-
tagious disease. But Constantine's chill
dren could not be barred for any such
reason.
An immigrant must prove he will not
become public charge. But Giovanni's
children could enter the United States
without nickel in their pockets and
demand public assistance the moment
they set foot on the dock.
On1cials say also the language of pres
ent laws is such that some persons could
60 to a competent official, state the facts
Of his birth and parentage and ask, Am
an American citizen or not?" and
the official could say only:
"Frnnk 7 don't kpou