File No. 365.117/340
The Acting Secretary of State to Chargé Jay
Washington, May 19, 1916.
Sir: The Department has been informed by the Honorable Frederick W. Dallinger, a Representative in Congress from the State of Massachusetts, that Bartolomeo Licciardo, who was born in Italy and obtained naturalization as a citizen of the United States in the [Page 417] United States District Court at Boston, Massachusetts, on March 9, 1914, left the United States in May, 1914, and went to Italy for the purpose of visiting his mother who was then residing at Salina, Province of Messina, Italy. It appears that some time after his arrival in Italy Mr. Licciardo was impressed into the Italian army and that he is now serving as a member of the 6th Company M. M. of the 145th Regiment of Infantry of the Italian army. Satisfactory evidence of the naturalization of Mr. Licciardo has been submitted to the Department.
You will please present the facts of this case to the appropriate Italian authorities and request that Bartolomeo Licciardo be released from the Italian army and permitted to return to the United States. In case Mr. Licciardo is released, you may issue an emergency passport to him to enable him to leave Italy.
I am [etc.]