Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1900

Mr. Buck to Mr. Hay.

United States Legation,
Tokyo , February 21, 1900 .

No. 404.]

Sir: I have the honor to state that on December 26 last I received from the United States consul at Kobe an application in duplicate for a citizen’s passport for Mr. A. M. Tracey Woodward, of date the 22d of that month.

The application showed that Mr. Woodward was born in South Africa, of American parents, and is now 24 years of age; that he had never been in the United States and had no domicile there; his occupation was not mentioned, and his intention to return to the United States was stated to be “within my (his) lifetime.” The seal of the consulate had not been affixed to the application, presumably by oversight.

The application was accompanied by an expired passport issued by the United States minister at Pekin, apparently soon after Mr. Woodward had reached his majority.

On returning the application to Mr. Lyon I pointed out the abovementioned deficiencies in the evidence, and expressed the hope that Mr. Woodward might be able to renew his application in harmony with the requirements of the Department of State, as set forth in the application forms, which I had no authority to change.

On the 10th ultimo I received a second dispatch from Mr. Lyon, inclosing a letter to me from Mr. Woodward (inclosed), from which I inferred that the latter was acting in good faith, and upon the strength of which I invited him to renew his application on the lines indicated therein.

On the 8th instant I received another application in duplicate, through Mr. Lyon, made out in the same form as the first application which had been refused by me. Upon referring the application again back to Mr. Lyon for an explanation, he informed me that—

in making out this second application Mr. Woodward concluded that as the spaces had been filled at the legation by dashes you (I) did not require any entry therein. The facts are Mr. Woodward can not make affidavit that he is domiciled in the United States, that his permanent residence is in any one of the States, etc., as he has never even been in the United States.

My attention has since been called to the fact that the business letter head used by Mr. Woodward in his communication to me is that of an English firm, which to my mind is suggestive as to the value of the statements made in the said communication.

I therefore have the honor to report the case to the Department, taking no further action unless instructed to do so.

I have, etc.,

A. E. Buck.

[Inclosure.]

Mr. Woodward to Mr. Buck.

Kobe , January 5, 1899 .

Sir: Having been informed by Mr. S. S. Lyon, United States consul here, that my application for a citizenship passport was not in complete order, I beg to say that with regard to my permanent residence in the United States I am at a loss what to state. I was born of American parents in South Africa, and have never been over to the United States, although expecting to go there shortly. My relatives all come from Boston, and notwithstanding that I can not arbitrarily say my permanent residence is in Boston, yet it is my desire when I go over to the States to domicile there. I can not say how the last application was made in Shanghai, as the vice-consul there filled the required items.

I would therefore be under a great obligation if you would kindly make a suggestion to overcome the above difficulty.

I am, etc.,

A. M. Tracey Woodward.