Mr. Hirsch to Mr. Blaine .

No. 312.]

Sir: In the answer of the Sublime Porte to my note of last November, protesting against the employment of the process of registration of American physicians as a species of inquisition into their acquired citizenship and a judgment upon the same, it is stated that one Kiragos Dondjian, provided with American naturalization papers and passport, had, at the time of seeking his registration and authorization to practice, caused or allowed himself to be registered and recognized at the Ottoman bureau of nationality as an Ottoman subject, Dr. Dondjian has admitted to me that this statement is correct, [Page 752] and has surrendered his naturalization certificate to me, which I now have the honor to inclose. While admitting this, and that he had given up his American passport at that bureau, fir. Dondjian affirms that he acted upon the advice of a “friend” at the bureau of nationality, and that his action was merely dictated by expediency, his intention always being to resume his acquired American citizenship.

I am not aware of anything to prevent Mr. Dondjian from applying to the clerk of the court in which he was naturalized for a duplicate of the certificate I have taken from him, and continuing in his freedom to use either his Ottoman or his American nationality, as may for the moment best suit his purposes, unless that court should be apprised of his action here and so enabled to make the necessary entries in connection with his naturalization.

I have, etc.,

Solomon Hirsch.