File No. 351.117/4.
Mr. William M. Chadbourne to the Secretary of State.
December 18, 1913 .
Dear Sir: A client of mine, who was born in France of French parents, came to this country in his youth and became a naturalized American citizen without ever having performed the required military service in the French army. It seems that a law has been passed in France to the effect that persons of a certain age, who never performed their military service, may exempt themselves from liability for punishment for their failure to do so by serving for a very short term of about a month.
My client would like to avail himself of this law in order that he may be free to visit France whenever he chooses, without fear of getting into trouble. But he does not want to do anything that might involve a loss of his American citizenship. You will note that Section 2 of the Act of March 2, 1907, provides that American citizenship is lost by naturalization in a foreign country or by taking an oath of allegiance to any foreign state.
It may be that you have had occasion to consider this question or can refer me to some decision on the point, and if this is the case, I should be greatly obliged if you would let me have anything that might be of assistance in deciding this question.
Yours very truly,