The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador White.

No. 22.]

Sir: The Department has received your No. 12 of May 4 last, relative to the application for a passport of Rocco Gioffri.

The application upon which passport No. 96327 was issued December 21, 1904, states that he was born in 1872 and emigrated to this country in March, 1894, on board the Prince Albert, whereas the application made May 1, 1905, before the consul at Messina states that he emigrated on board the Trojan Prince in April, 1895, and was born August 16, 1873. That the signature to the application made to this Department is identical with the signature on the application made before the consul is not beyond suspicion. Rocco Gioffri has not signed his passport, as he was instructed to do when it was issued.

I inclose a certified copy of the application made to this Departmenta and return the application made before the consul at Messina, as well as the certificate of naturalization issued October 28, 1899, by the supreme court, Westchester County, N. Y., and the passport.

You are instructed to cause a searching examination to be made of Rocco Gioffri, if he can be found, in connection with these documents, with a view to ascertaining whether he is the same person who received the passport from this Department. If he is not, information may be elicited, upon which criminal proceedings might be instituted.

I am, etc.,

F. B. Loomis.
  1. Not printed.