Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Supplement 2, The World War

File No. 851.4054/16

The Secretary of State to the French Ambassador ( Jusserand)

No. 2158

Washington, June 12, 1918.

Excellency: Referring to your note of April 30, and to previous correspondence respecting the agreement proposed between the Government of the French Republic and the United States Government to prevent difficulties which may arise as a result of the irregular marriages of French women to soldiers in the American Army, I have the honor to enclose a copy of a form, of affidavit to be made by the declarant and certificate to be made by the military authorities, which will be acceptable to the War Department and which apparently coincides with the ideas of the French Government as suggested in Your Excellency’s notes of March 28, and April 30.

With respect to a form stating the fact of the marriage, to be recorded in the United States, the War Department suggests that under the present regulations the fact of the marriage is made a matter of record sufficient to protect the woman and does not require an additional form. In case Your Excellency’s Government deems such a form essential, although Your Excellency’s note of April 30, apparently waived this point, a form is attached which the War Department considers will answer the requirement.

In reply to the inquiries of your Government as to what Federal authorities can furnish the legal evidence of the death or divorce of the previous wife, I regret to inform you that there is no such authority and that recourse will have to be had to the local civil authorities in the United States, the requirements for which are covered in the enclosed form.

Accept [etc.]

Robert Lansing

[Enclosure 1]

Form Suggested for the Affidavit to be Signed and Sworn to by the Soldier Contemplating Marriage

I, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Rank) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (No.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Organization) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (N.A., N.G., or R.A.) of United States, make oath and say that I was born at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Town) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (State) on _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _; (Date) that my present home address is _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (No.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Street) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Town) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _;(State) that I am unmarried; and that I know of no reason why I have not capacity to contract a valid marriage; that I have _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ been married before.

^* My former wife _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Died or was divorced) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Date)

(Signed) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Signed by the said _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(Name) in my presence and by him sworn to before me this _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ day of _ _ _ _ _ _._ _ _ _ _ 191_ _ _ at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

(Signed)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(Rank)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[Enclosure 2]

Form Suggested for the Certificate to be Signed by the Company Commander of the Soldier Contemplating Marriage

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ France _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 19 _ _ _

I,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Rank) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Name) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Organization) do hereby certify that I am one of the superior officers of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (Name) and that I believe the statements in his foregoing affidavit to be true.

(Signed) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

(Rank and organization) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

[Enclosure 3]

Form Suggested for Record of Marriages; to be Filed with The Adjutant General

Be it remembered that on this the _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ day of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Month) 191_ _ _, at _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (City) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Country) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Rank) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Name) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (No.) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, (Organization) was lawfully married to _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ In testimony whereof this certificate is now signed this _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ day of _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 191_ _ _, by the aforesaid _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ and by the person solemnizing the marriage, namely, _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _, the maire of arrondissement _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _(Address)

(Signed) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Contracting Party

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
(Officiating Party)

1. Note: If deceased or divorced, a certified copy of death certificate or of decree of divorce furnished by civil authorities must he attached to this paper.