File No. 18071/4–5.
Ambassador Hill to
the Secretary of State.
American Embassy,
Berlin, February 24,
1909.
No. 223.]
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the
receipt of your instruction No. 106,1 of February 5, 1909, transmitting copies of
correspondence with regard to the German military case of Mr. Gottlob
Blickle, together with Mr. Blickle’s duly authenticated naturalization
papers, and instructing me to ascertain the status of the case and
report the facts to the department.
It appears from the wording of Mr. Blickle’s letter to the department
that on his leaving Germany for the United States his father was
required to deposit a certain sum of money with the authorities, and
that this deposit had now been declared forfeited on account of the
son’s failure to appear for the performance of his military service in
Germany. In order, therefore, that the case may be brought to the
attention of the German Government, with a view to having Mr. Blickle’s
American citizenship recognized, his name stricken from the German
military lists, and the forfeited money refunded to his father, the
embassy should be placed in possession of certain information with
regard to his birth and subsequent movements, the exact nature of which
information is stated in the circular inclosed in duplicate
herewith.
The embassy, while retaining Mr. Blickle’s naturalization papers, will
therefore await the department’s further instructions in the matter.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure.]
formalities in regard to military
cases.
In view of the fact that many American citizens of German origin who
desire to have their citizenship recognized by the German Government
and their names struck from the German military lists, or who desire
permission to visit or to remain temporarily in Germany, are unaware
of the formalities which must be complied with before the embassy
can take up their cases, the following information is given:
If the applicant is in Europe at the time of his request for
intervention, he should forward, together with his application, his
own or his father’s certificate
[Page 269]
of naturalization, according to which
determines his American nationality. At the same time he should
state clearly and precisely the following facts:
- 1.
- Place and date of birth.
- 2.
- Date of emigration to the United States.
- 3.
- Date of naturalization, and before what court
naturalized.
- 4.
- Date of last leaving the United States and date of return
to Germany.
- 5.
- If molested by the German authorities, in what manner, i.
e., order of expulsion, line, arrest, etc.
- 6.
- Desired length of stay in Germany.
- 7.
- Approximate date of intended return to the United
States.
- 8.
- If in possession of a passport, number, date, and place of
issue.
- 9.
- Previous visits to Germany.
On the receipt of such an application the embassy will consider
whether, in view of the facts given, it is justified in intervening;
and if so, will take up the applicant’s case with the German foreign
office. The applicant’s certificate of naturalization will then be
returned to him, when he should immediately forward it to America to
be authenticated first by the secretary of state of the State in
which it was issued, if it was issued by a State court, or by the
Attorney General in Washington if issued by a Federal court, and
then, in either case, by the Secretary of State of the United States
at Washington, D. C, after which it should be returned to the
embassy for transmission to the German Government.
If the applicant is in the United States at the time of his
presentation of his case to the embassy, he should first have his
certificate of naturalization authenticated according to the above
instructions previous to forwarding it, together with his
application and his answers to the above questions.