Mr. Lardy to Mr. Adee.
Washington, D. C. , July 30, 1901 .
Mr. Assistant Secretary of State: My Government instructs me to call upon your extreme good offices with a view to determining the nationality of one Louis Rover.
The latter was registered as born in Lyons on the 18th of October, 1888, of Léon Jean Rover, born in New York, and of his “spouse,” Germaine Rivière, a French woman, born at Lyons.
But Léon Jean Rover and Germaine (or rather Genevieve) Rivière were, as a matter of fact, not husband and wife at that time; their marriage was not solemnized until the 21st of May, 1891, in the presence of the registrar of London city. The couple have since then separated by mutual agreement without a decree of divorce, the father having by a regular deed left the child in the custody of the mother.
Under the circumstances I take the liberty of asking whether the State law of New York admits that Louis Rover, born out of wedlock of an American and a French woman, was legitimatized by the subsequent marriage of his parents and has thus acquired United States citizenship.
[Page 512]As there does not appear to be any evidence that Léon Jean Rover is an American citizen, I should also be very grateful if you could cause an inquiry to be made upon that point, should there be some chance of success.
Be pleased, etc.,