No. 300.
Mr. Pendleton to Mr.
Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Berlin, June 22, 1885.
(Received July 6.)
No. 13.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith the
correspondence between this legation and the foreign office, relating to the
expulsion from Prussia of Meyer Gad, a naturalized citizen of the United
States.
The reasons for Count Hatzfeldtfs refusal to grant the request for a longer
sojourn by Gad in this country, made by my predecessor, Mr. Kasson, are set
forth at some length in the note of the 16th instant, from the foreign
office.
Stress is laid on the fact that Gad had already been expelled from Prussia
while a Russian subject, and before his naturalization in the United States,
and it is argued that the treaty of February 22, 1868, between the United
States and the North German Confederation, does not apply to his case as he
has never been a German subject.
It is intimated that circumstances indicate that Gad has no intention of
returning to the United States, that he has committed dishonest acts in
Prussia, and it is stated, in conclusion, that his past history would not
seem to justify exceptional consideration for his wishes.
Gad’s expulsion is probably owing in a great measure
to the fact that he was formerly a Russian subject. The policy of expelling
Russians coming into Prussia to settle is being rigorously prosecuted by
this Government for the reason, no doubt, that such immigration tends to
arrest the Germanization of that portion of Prussia which borders on
Russian-Poland and is largely inhabited by persons of Polish origin.
Gad has been informed of the adverse decision in his case.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in 1 No. 13.]
Mr. Kasson to Count
Hatzfeldt.
Legation of the United States,
Berlin, April 20,
1885.
The undersigned, envoy, &c., of the United States of America, has the
honor to request the friendly and early attention of his excellency
Count Hatzfeldt, imperial secretary of state for foreign affairs,
&c., to the following statement and request of Meyer Gad, a citizen
of the United States, now temporarily sojourning at Kempen in Posen.
It is alleged that the said Meyer Gad, then being a Russian subject,
emigrated to the United States 1879, from which time he has resided
there until his recent return to Prussia on a visit and to dispose of
business. He was naturalized in America in due form of law, as appears
by the certificate dated the 30th day of September, 1884.
It is also stated that he was ordered to leave Kempen prior to his
emigration, solely on the ground of his being a Russian subject, no
offense being charged against him. His object now is to sell some
property belonging to him, at or near Kempen, and then return with his
family to the United States for permanent residence.
It is now reported to this legation that the landrath of the district has
ordered him to leave without special cause therefor, before the 4th day
of May, prior to which time he will not be able to complete the
disposition of his property. His intention always is to return to the
United States in August next.
Under these circumstances the undersigned feels assured His Majesty’s
Government will find it just to give him the benefits of the treaty, and
to direct the local authorities to allow the said naturalized citizen to
complete his lawful business in Prussia so long as he is obedient to the
laws. He therefore has the honor to request his excellency to cause the
order of the landrath to be suspended pending an investigation of
[Page 420]
the facts, and if these are
found to he correctly stated, that order may be issued in compliance
with the applicant’s request.
Submitting herewith the certificate of American naturalization of said
Meyer Gad with the request for the eventual return of the same, the
undersigned profits, &c.
[Inclosure 2 in No.
13.—Translation.]
Count Hatzfeldt to
Mr. Coleman.
Foreign
Office, Berlin,
June 16, 1885.
Replying to the esteemed note of the 20th of April last, the undersigned
has the honor to inform Mr. Chapman Coleman, chargé d’affaires ad interim of the United States of America, that,
to his regret, the request, advocated by the envoy, Mr. Kasson, of Meyer
God (rightly spelled Gad) for permission to sojourn longer in Prussia,
could not, under existing circumstances be complied with.
The former Russian subject, Meyer Gad, had already been expelled from
Prussia in the year 1878, after having been discharged from the service
of the merchant Block, at Kempen, at that time his master, for several
dishonest acts. He thereupon went to Austria and then to America, where
he has acquired American citizenship. Ashe has never been a German, the
North German American treaty of February 22, 1868, cannot apply to his
case.
After an application made in 1882 by the wife of Gad, residing at Kempen,
for permission for her husband to sojourn there, had been refused, the
latter himself appeared at Kempen at the beginning of February last with
the purpose of settling there. He was directed that he must leave the
territory of Prussia within six weeks.
With this direction he did not comply, and later on, in a communication
addressed to the “landrath” at Kempen, he declared that it was his
purpose to commence at this place a business with a capital of 10,000
marks, which he claimed to possess. From this it would seem to appear
that Gad, contrary to the assumption contained in the note of the envoy,
did not, in reality, even have the intention of returning to
America.
Although in general, sojourn in the German Empire, in so far as
particular reasons to the contrary do not exist, is permitted to
citizens of the United States, as also to other foreigners, the royal
Prussian minister of the interior is nevertheless of the opinion that
the measure of expulsion adopted against Gad before his naturalization
as an American citizen must be maintained, and the more for the reason
that his personality and his past history would not seem to justify
exceptional consideration for his wishes.
The undersigned, &c.
