[Inclosure.]
Mr. Jackson to
Mr. White.
Embassy of the United States of America,
Berlin, May
4, 1901.
Sir: With reference to the State
Department’s instruction No. 1189, received by me on the 26th
ultimo, I have the honor to submit the following report:
After more than ten years’ experience at this post, and after having
had frequent conversations with my colleagues and with German
officials upon the subject of the expulsion of former German
subjects, I feel at liberty to say with positiveness that there is
no intention on the part of the Prussian Government to discriminate
against American citizens. In the question under consideration it is
very difficult to draw a parallel. In the first place, no other
treaty similar to our Bancroft treaties of 1868 exists between the
German Empire, or any German State, and any foreign country. In the
second place, obligatory military service exists in almost all
continental countries, [Page 178] and
consequently the emigration of young Germans to those countries is
not considerable. Moreover, with many of these countries informal
understandings, or even formal agreements, exist, in accordance with
which their respective nationals are reciprocally handed over to
their home authorities where an attempt is made to evade military
service. Where no treaty exists the returned German is not
considered as entitled to be protected by the authorities of the
country in which he has acquired nationality, and he is generally
punished in accordance with German law without any intervention on
their part. This is even the case with British subjects, the
Department of State being probably aware of the fact that it is the
general practice of the British Government to decline to intervene
in behalf of a naturalized subject who returns to the land of his
birth. As there is no compulsory military service in Great Britain,
there is a comparatively large emigration of Germans to that
country, but, as I am informed by the British ambassador here, it
rarely happens that intervention is made in behalf of such a person
(even to ask for permission for one to spend a few weeks in Germany,
on a visit, or to make a cure at some watering place), although the
instances where they get into trouble are by no means
infrequent.
The general rule is to make it unpleasant for all persons of German
birth who have evaded military service in their native country,
whether their emigration took place for the purpose of evading such
service or not, upon their return to Germany after having acquired
another nationality, it being held by the authorities, especially
those in Prussia, that the sojourn of such persons for any length of
time causes discontent and dissatisfaction among their companions of
the same age who have remained at home. It is of course possible
that certain of the minor local officials may entertain particular
grudges against American citizens of German origin on account of the
frequency with which they have to do with annoying cases where they
are involved, but I am confident that these views are not shared by
the superior officials of the Prussian ministry of the interior, or
at all generally by their subordinates.
With regard to the order in the case of Albert Ehrenstroem (see
correspondence with Mr. George M. Murphy, consular clerk) and to the
recent general order, I have to state that I have been informed by
the Prussian ministry of the interior that attention has been merely
called to what has been the practice for a long time, so that
persons who do not know that objection exists to their renewing
their residence in Germany may not be subjected to hardship.
I am, etc.,
John B. Jackson,
Secretary of Embassy.
