File No. 351.117/30.
The Secretary of State to Ambassador Sharp.
Washington, January 21, 1915.
493. Your 452 and 453, January 14. Say to Foreign Office this Government still hopes that French Government will discriminate between cases of Frenchmen naturalized as Americans and see its way clear to release those who emigrated before actually becoming liable for military service. On the one hand, loss to France by release of such persons desiring to be released, it is believed, would be negligible. On the other hand, there is no little suffering to such persons and their destitute families in this country, while much feeling is being created by the detention of American naturalized citizens. Department regrets it will be obliged to bring the matter to the attention of the French Government whenever informed of the impressment into the French Army of a naturalized American.
In this connection, mention case of Louis Paul Lacombe, Saint-Roch, Department Aveyron; emigrated age 4 years; naturalized February 8, 1912.