Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Address of the President to Congress December 4, 1917

File No. 365.117/551

Ambassador Page to the Secretary of State

No. 675

American Embassy,
Rome, May 3, 1917.

Sir: Referring to the Department’s instruction No. 497 of March 6 and to its telegram No. 751 of March 10² in regard to the exemption from military service and permission to return to the United States of Guglielmo Andreaccio, I have the honor to enclose herewith translation of a note received today from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that the Ministry of War declines to release this young man on the ground of his long residence in Italy and of his having neglected to claim foreign nationality.

The Foreign Office’s reply refers to the Embassy’s two “follow up” notes on the subject; a copy of the Embassy’s original communication of March 12 was enclosed by the Consul at Naples in his despatch to the Department of March 25 reporting upon the subject of Andreaccio’s application for a passport.

The following extract from the translation of a letter addressed by Andreaccio to the Consulate at Naples March 24, which was also forwarded by the Consul in his above-mentioned despatch, would appear to support the contention of the Ministry of War:

I am registered in the record of births of Ruoti. In order to be admitted to the schools my mother had me registered in the Italian registers of birth.

At present I am waiting the decision as to which military school I am to be sent as I have asked to be admitted to either Artillery, Engineers or Infantry.

The Convitto Nazionale at which he was educated is a Government institution.

In accordance with the Department’s telegram of March 10 to the Embassy, Mr. White wrote Andreaccio on March 13 to apply in person at the Consulate for an emergency passport. As will be seen from the young man’s letter referred to above he replied that he could not visit the Consulate until April 4 when his lyceum examinations would be over. On April 17 the Consul informed the Embassy that Andreaccio had been ordered to report on that date for military service, and added that he had neglected to apply as instructed for an emergency passport.

The fact of Andreaccio’s not having an American passport would have made no difference with the military authorities at this stage of the proceedings as the Embassy had previously claimed him as a native-born American citizen by its note of March 12.

Awaiting the Department’s instructions as to whether further steps should be taken,

I have [etc.]

Thos. Nelson Page

[Inclosure—Translation]

Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the American Embassy

Rome, May 2, 1917.

Referring to notes verbales Nos. 1551 and 1571 of the 17th and 27th of April last respectively, the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States of America that, according to a very recent communication of the Royal Ministry of War, the military authorities of the Kingdom cannot consent to the release from military service and the return to the United States of Guglielmo Andreaccio.

It appears indeed after careful inquiry, that the young man in question has resided in Italy for nine years, and is the son of a father who was once an Italian citizen; he has therefore been duly entered on the list of leva of Ruoti, the commune of which his father was a native.

And whereas, at the time of his enrollment on the list on February 8, 1917 he did not in any way claim foreign citizenship, he must be considered to have become an Italian citizen according to Article 3 of Law No. 555 dated June 13, 1912, and is therefore under the obligation of full military duties to the Kingdom.

2. Not printed.