File No. 9254/5–7.
Ambassador Tower to
the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
Berlin, April 3,
1908.
No. 1331.]
Sir: In supplement to my dispatch No. 1289 of
the 30th of January, 1908, on the subject of the military case of one
Joseph Mayer, now of Ephrata, Douglas County, Wash., I have the honor to
transmit to you herewith a copy and translation into English of a note
from the imperial German ministry for foreign affairs, dated the 2d of
April, 1908, which informs me of the decision of the Imperial Government
in regard to the case.
The ministry for foreign affairs informs me that Mr. Mayer’s American
citizenship has been recognized, his name stricken from the German
military lists, the judgment against him for alleged evasion of military
service in Germany canceled, and that the royal government of
Wurttemberg will allow him to make a visit to Wurttemberg not to exceed
six months in duration. The duly authenticated certificate of
naturalization of Joseph Mayer before the superior court of Lewis
County, Wash., on the 16th day of June, 1898, is returned herewith.
I have informed the ministry for foreign affairs, at its request, of the
address of Mr. Mayer, in order that he may be duly notified by the royal
district court of Rawensburg of the judgment which it has issued in his
favor.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Imperial German Ministry for
Foreign Affairs to the American
Embassy.
[Note verbale.]
Foreign Office,
Berlin, April 2,
1908.
The imperial ministry for foreign affairs has the honor to inform the
embassy of the United States of America, in reply to the note
verbale of the 1st of November, 1907, F. O. No. 1183, that Joseph
Mayer, who was born on the 17th of February, 1867, at Staierhof,
Gemeinde Tiefenbach, Oberamt Reutlingen, and emigrated to America in
1884 from Stafflangen, Oberamt Biberach, is recognized as a citizen
of the United States of America and his name has been stricken from
the German military lists. His certificate of naturalization is
returned herewith.
Mayer was condemned to a fine of 400 marks, in case of nonpayment to
imprisonment for three months, for evasion of military service, by
legal judgment of the penal chamber of the royal district court at
Rawensburg, under date of the 19th of October, 1904. This judgment
was, however, annulled in a new trial on the 29th of November, 1907,
and Mayer was declared not guilty of evasion of military service;
furthermore, the seizure of his property in the German Empire,
enacted on the 2d of August, 1904, has been canceled.
The royal Württembergian government will permit Mayer a stay in
Württemberg, limited to six months, in case he returns to
Germany.
The ministry for foreign affairs begs that the embassy will
communicate to it Mayer’s address, in order that the matter of
officially notifying Mayer of the judgment issued in his favor by
the royal district court at Rawensburg may be attended to from
here.
