711.60 f 4/11
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Czechoslovakia ( Gittings )
Sir: The Department acknowledges the Legation’s despatch No. 1496 of March 2, 1928, concerning the negotiation of a naturalization [Page 682] treaty between the United States and Czechoslovakia. It appears that the Czechoslovak Government is willing to conclude a treaty upon the basis of the original draft submitted by this Government with the changes which have been agreed to, although it would prefer to include in the treaty provisions for the settlement of the existing conflicts between the laws of the two countries concerning the nationality of married women and the nationality of persons born in either country of parents having the nationality of the other. The Department has also noted the desire of the Czechoslovak Government to have an arrangement made under which it may be informed in each case of the naturalization of a Czechoslovak national in the United States.
The Department fully appreciates the fact that the proposed treaty will not furnish a solution of the difficulties arising from conflicts of the laws of the two countries concerning married women and persons born with dual nationality. However, it does not seem desirable to postpone the conclusion of the proposed treaty for the adoption of agreements covering these subjects. While it is hoped that such agreements may be found possible, the matter will require very careful study and may necessitate changes in the laws of this country. Nevertheless, as stated in the Department’s last instruction concerning this subject17 and in your Legation’s note of June 7, to the Czechoslovak Foreign Minister,18 the Department will be glad to consider any concrete suggestions which the Czechoslovak Government may see fit to make for the termination of dual nationality. The same may be said with regard to the existing conflicts of the laws concerning married women.
If the Czechoslovak Government is willing you will, therefore, proceed to sign the treaty, a draft of which was enclosed with the Department’s instruction No. 457 of May 13, 1927. For this purpose full powers and directions concerning the form of the treaty will be sent to you.18
Copies of your Legation’s despatch of March 2, and its enclosures19 are being sent to the Secretary of Labor, with a request that the Department of Labor consider the possibility of complying with the suggestion of the Czechoslovak Foreign Office with regard to the matter of having Czechoslovak nationals who obtain naturalization in this country advised by officials of this Government to notify the Czechoslovak Government of their naturalization.
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