The paragraph in question in the declaration which all applicants for
passports are compelled to sign does undoubtedly act occasionally as a
bar to the issue of passports to those who are bona fide native-born
Americans and who pay their taxes, often to a large amount, at home, but
who, on account of business, health, or for some reason, are unable to
remain long enough in the United States, for a period of time more or
less protracted, to perform the duties of citizenship; and if any means
could be found of enabling such persons to forego signing that clause it
would be a boon to them.
I have, etc.
[Inelosure in No. 660.]
Mr. Van Duzer
to Mr. White.
The
American Society in London,
114 Southampton Row, W.
C.
,
January 25,
1899
.
Sir: After a lengthy discussion to-day at
an executive committee meeting of our society, I was requested to
communicate with you in regard to the difficulties experienced by
Americans sojourning abroad in obtaining a passport from our
ambassadors, the difficulty arising from the clause appearing on the
application form, to which all Americans applying for passports have
to subscribe, namely, that it is their intention within two years to
return to America and take up the duties of citizenship.
Mr. Frederick Alvah Miller, who has for some years resided in
Torquay, and whose father was, until his death, a partner in the
firm of H. B. Claflin & Co., of New York (and I may mention that
Mr. Miller is a member of our society and has been known to me for
more than twenty years, as well as to many other members of the
society), is desirous of traveling abroad, and it is quite possible
that he may, on account of Mrs. Miller’s health, visit Egypt. While
he is residing in England for the time being, he still is an
American citizen, often visiting America for lengthened periods, and
he can not consider that the regulations of the State Department
should prevent him from receiving from his ambassador a passport,
which document it is absolutely necessary for him to have before
visiting Egypt. At the same time he can not honestly declare it to
be his intention within two years to return to America and take up
the duties of citizenship.
I may mention that this same difficulty arose in regard to myself
some years ago, when the Hon. James G. Blaine was Secretary of State
and Mr. Lincoln was our minister, and upon my communicating to Mr.
Blaine the facts of the case Mr. Lincoln was advised to issue a
passport to me.
The main object of this letter is, with all courtesy, to suggest to
the State Department that in cases where Americans (identified and
vouched for by well-known Americans) apply for passports the
ambassador should be given some latitude, so that the difficulty now
experienced by Mr. Miller—and at one time by myself—should be met by
the ambassador being given the power to grant, in exceptional [Page 340] circumstances, individual
passports where the clause mentioned can not be honestly subscribed
to. More especially does this seem necessary from the fact that a
naturalized American citizen, not particular as to subscribing to
said clause, could demand and would receive a passport which is
denied to the honest native-born citizen.
Trusting that the State Department will take such action as will
remedy this evil, which I am sure will be readily recognized by
them,
I am, etc.,
F. C. Van Duzer,
Honorary Secretary,
