Mr. Tripp to Mr.
Gresham.
United
States Legation,
Vienna, October 3,
1893. (Received October 18.)
No. 45.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, for
your information, copies of correspondence between this legation, the
United States consul at Budapest, and the ministry of foreign affairs at
Vienna, relative to the arrest, enrollment into the army and subsequent
release of Mike Minis, or Michael Minich, a native of the province of
Slavonia, in the Kingdom of Hungary, and a naturalized citizen of the
United States.
I have,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 45.]
Mr. Hammond to
Mr. Grant.
United States Consulate,
Budapest, March 31,
1893.
Sir: Mike Minis (Michael Minich), as shown
by the inclosed certificate of naturalization, is a citizen of the
United States. Upon his return he was examined and found fit for the
army in his native place and was enlisted and put in the army. This
case came to my notice by letter written by Mathew Mieder from Mount
Pleasant, Pa. Upon investigation I found that the above Minich is an
uneducated Slovak, without energy, who did not object to his
enlistment, and did not even mention that he was a citizen of the
United States.
I have found out that the said Minich left this country by Bremen at
16 years of age in 1886; after living six years in Mount Pleasant
and working in the coalmines, he acquired his citizenship. He
returned to Hungary last year, and was enlisted October 1, 1892. His
present address is Ferdinand Kaserne, Budapest. I turn the matter
over for your action.
Yours, etc.,
E. P. T. Hammond,
U. S. Consul.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 45.]
Mr. Hammond to
Mr. Grant.
United States Consulate,
Budapest, April 15,
1893.
Sin: Yesterday I had conversation with Mike Minis (United States
citizen in army here), and gathered from him the further information
that he was born at Felsö, Slavonia but he could not tell what year
or month, only that this summer he will be 23 years old. He went to
America six years ago the 10th this April by steamer Fulda, or Ems, from
Bremen, returned from America to Hungary about nine months ago, and
has been serving in the army since 1st October, 1892. Knowing how
important to find date and year of his birth, will write to proper
authorities in Felsö and try and get certificate of birth. I have
heretofore and now given all information that can be obtained from
said Minis himself.
I am, etc.,
E. P. T. Hammond,
U. S. Consul.
[Page 22]
[Inclosure 3 in No. 45.]
Mr. Grant to
Count Kalnoky.
United States Legation,
Vienna, April 14,
1893.
Your Excellency: I have the honor to inform
you that I am in receipt of certain letters which seem to indicate
that “Mike Minis,” or “Michael Minich,” a naturalized citizen of the
United States of Hungarian origin, was, upon October the 1st, 1892,
forced by the Hungarian authorities to enter the ranks of the
imperial and royal army.
I can not as yet place before your excellency all the details of this
case, as they have not been fully reported to me, but I inclose
herewith Minis’s naturalization certificate of American citizenship,
and I hasten to request that his case may be investigated and that
he may be discharged from the army of the Austro-Hungarian
Monarchy.
Investigation has shown that Mike Minis, or Michael Minich, emigrated
to the United States in the year 1886, and remained there for six
years, during which time he was a workman in the mines of
Pennsylvania.
It is also reported to me that the present address of the
above-mentioned individual is K. K. Genie Regiment, fifteenth
company, Ferdinands Kaserne, Budapest.
With the request that your excellency will have the inclosed
certificate of citizenship of Mike Minis, or Michael Minich returned
to this legation when the imperial and royal authorities shall have
finished the investigation of this case,
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 4 in No.
45.—Translation.]
Count Welsersheimb to Mr. Grant.
Sir: In preliminary response to the
esteemed note of April 14 last, No. 174, relative to the enrollment
of Mike Minis, alias Michael Minich, a naturalized citizen of the
United States, for service in the imperial and royal army, the
ministry of foreign affairs begs leave to inform the honorable envoy
of the United States that this case has been referred to the royal
Hungarian ministry of public defense with a view of an immediate
leave of absence to be granted him and that investigations be made
in regard to his naturalization.
Welsersheimb,
For the Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
[Inclosure 5 in No.
45.—Translation.]
Count Welsersheimb to Mr. Tripp.
Vienna, September 25,
1893.
Sir: Supplementary to the note of June 2
last, which the ministry of foreign affairs addressed to the
predecessor of the honorable envoy of the United States in reference
to the enrollment of Mike Minis, alias Michael Minich, a naturalized
citizen of the United States, for active service in the imperial and
royal army, the undersigned now has the honor of informing the
honorable envoy of the United States that the royal Hungarian
ministry of public defense, after having fully investigated the
case, report that Minich’s naturalization in the United States took
place in due form and according to law, and that he has been
therefore definitely discharged from the imperial and royal army,
and that the documents proving his identity have been returned to
him.
Welsersheimb,
For the Minister of Foreign
Affairs.
