Mr. Hay to Mr. Lord.
Washington , February 25, 1901 .
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 89, of the 12th ultimo, reporting that you had rejected the application of Mr. Frank H. Bowers for a passport.
It appears that Mr. Bowers was born of American parents in Buenos Ayres on February 17, 1880, in which city he has since resided with an exception of two years’ absence at school. He desired the passport to use in Europe while en route to the United States, where he expects to reside.
In reply I have to say that the Department is of opinion that you should have issued the passport, as Mr. Bowers was clearly an American citizen, under section 1993, Revised Statutes, being born abroad of American parents.
You need not have concerned yourself with the conflict between the United States and Argentine laws, as it does not appear that the Argentine Government had made any claim to Mr. Bowers’s allegiance, and he was, moreover, about to leave the Republic finally, and to come to the United States.
I am, etc.,