Mr. Gresham to Mr. Buchanan.
Washington, August 15, 1894.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 33 of the 2d instant. You therein call attention to the general use by all foreign consuls at Buenos Ayres, excepting the consul of the United States, of forms of certificates of nationality known as “papeletas,” and you state that under the regulations governing the mobilization of the national guard the police have authority to arrest persons not reporting for duty unless they present a “papeleta” evidencing the fact of foreign birth or citizenship, which being the only form of certificate known or accepted by the police, is considered preferable to a regularly visaed passport. You inclose the forms of certificates used by the foreign consuls and recommend, in view of their general use, the adoption [Page 20] of some such certificate for your legation and our consulate at Buenos Ayres. You also ask, in the event of the adoption of such form, for instructions as to its use and request information on several points which relate to the subject.
The proposed form which you inclose (inclosure No. 4) is quite inadmissible. It is simply a passport in Spanish. There are only two ways of certification of American citizens available:
- (1)
- Deposit of regular passport in the legation or consulate and the issuance to the bearer of a certificate of such deposit and of his registration in the legation or consulate. The French form (inclosure No. 2 to your dispatch) might serve.
- (2)
- Indorsement on the passport itself of a certificate in
Spanish. A Spanish translation of the following form might be
used:
The within passport, issued by _____, dated _______, attests that ______ is a citizen of the United States of America, and as such is entitled to the rights and privileges of such a citizen in a foreign country.
Seen and noted in this legation (or consulate).
Good for all the territory of the Argentine Republic.
No person can receive a certificate of citizenship in lieu of a passport. Whatever certificate is given must be predicated upon a regular passport.
I am, etc.,