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
[Page 768]
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.]
[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)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
[Page 769]
[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)
