130 Petrides, Basil

The Chargé in Greece (Morris) to the Secretary of State

No. 2307

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s instruction No. 1046 dated October 17, 1932 (File No. 130) relative to the citizenship of Basil and Theodore Petrides, sons of Dr. Menelaus Petrides, whose mother while in Greece had their names entered upon the register of Greek citizens.

I enclose for the Department’s information and files a copy of my note to the Hellenic Ministry of Foreign Affairs68 reiterating the previous request to have the names of these children eliminated from the register of Greek citizens. This note will serve no purpose except to preserve the principle. The Hellenic authorities have already refused to remove the names of these children from the register as the Department was informed in my despatch No. 2188 of July 19, 1932.68 I have no doubt of the truth of Mrs. Petrides[Page 447] statement contained in her affidavit to the effect that she was obliged by the registration officials to make the petition to have her sons recognized as Greek citizens in order that they might receive permission to leave Greece. Such cases are fairly numerous. A copy of Mrs. Petrides’ petition taken from the files of the Municipality of Athens by an employee of the Legation staff is enclosed.69

While the practice of the Greek officials in compelling the registration of these more or less ignorant American citizens of Greek extraction may be considered as unethical, I can see no way to put a stop to it. This conflict of opinion as to nationality is bound to continue, as the Department is of course aware, until Greece consents to enter into a naturalization convention.

Respectfully yours,

Leland B. Morris
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