Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 7, 1911

The Secretary of State to the American Consul at Foochow.

Department of State,
Washington, May 16, 1911.

No. 218.]

Sir: The Department has received your dispatch of the 3d ultimo, transmitting a copy of a letter to you of March 27, 1911, from the bureau of foreign affairs at Foochow in regard to the naturalization of Chinese as citizens of other countries and a copy of your reply of April 3.

There have already been a number of cases in south China in which Chinese who had been naturalized as citizens of Hawaii prior to its annexation to this country, and who had become citizens of the United States through the annexation, have had to establish their citizenship. The Chinese law of naturalization should be brought to the attention of all such citizens in China and the Chinese authorities duly notified that they are American citizens, unless they have expatriated themselves under the provision of the second paragraph of section 2 of the act of March 2, 1907. In this connection you are referred to the Department’s circular instruction of May 13, 1908, entitled “Expatriation and Protection of Americans in China.”¹

This matter is evidently one which should be taken up by the legation at Peking, and the Department has noted your statement that a copy of the letter from the bureau of foreign affairs has been sent to that office. A copy of this instruction is being sent to the legation. I am, etc.,

P. C. Knox.

1. See Foreign Relations, 1908, p. 1.