Minister Graves to the Secretary of State.
Stockholm, May 15, 1906.
Sir: I have the honor to report that this legation is constantly receiving complaints from Swedish-Americans returning to Sweden because of the attempts of the Swedish military and naval authorities to compel them to serve in the Swedish army or navy. Frequently they are arrested and put into prison and taken in prisoners’ van to the place where the naval or military duty is to be performed, notwithstanding both certificate of naturalization and American passport are shown to local authorities who arrest them. When they reach the military camp or fortress or naval station where they are to perform duty they are always released by the commanding officer as soon as they show their American papers; but this course of action is a source of great discomfort to American citizens who are subjected thereto and causes a great amount of correspondence for the legation and still more for the Swedish authorities.
In view of all this, the minister for foreign affairs has officially, both orally and in writing, suggested that troublesome cases of this nature are almost always caused by the ignorance of the local authorities in the English language, by the ignorance of the Swedish-American citizen of the wording of the treaty existing between Sweden and America on expatriation and naturalization, or by both these circumstances, and his excellency has therefore earnestly requested me to append to every passport issued at this legation a translation thereof into the Swedish language and certain extracts from the aforesaid treaty.
Agreeable to this request, I have had such a translation of the passport and extracts from the treaty indicated by his excellency printed on a thin sheet of paper, a copy of which is inclosed herewith, and affix said slip to every passport issued at this legation.
This translation and extract of the treaty, as it appears on the inclosed slip, has been approved and praised by his excellency, who states that he is confident that it will prevent the recurrence of such deplorable events as those above referred to.
Hoping that you will approve of this action on my part, I have, etc.,