File No. 365.117/397
Chargé Jay to the Secretary of State
Rome, July 17, 1916.
Sir: The contents of the Department’s instruction No. 339 of May 19 last were promptly brought by this Embassy to the attention of the Royal Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Ministry, under date of July 15, replies as follows:
In response to its note verbale No. 1150 of June 14 last, the Royal Ministry for Foreign Affairs regrets very much to inform the Embassy of the United States of America that the Ministry of War does not find that it will be able to consent to the release from military service of Bartolomeo Licciardo, it being held by the military authorities that this naturalization as an American citizen in 1914 and his consequent loss of Italian citizenship, does not exempt him from the performance of his military obligations in the Kingdom of Italy, according to the interpretation of the provisions of Article 8 of the Citizenship Laws of Italy, now in force.
I have [etc.]