Speech #440001378

In the mean time. and unless Congress otherwise direct. I shall not oppose the landing of any telegraphic cable which complies with and assents to the points above enumerated. but will feel it my duty to prevent the landing of any which does not conform to the first and seeond points as stated. and which will not stipulate to concede to this Government the precedence in the transmission of its official messages and will not enter into a satisfactory arrangement with regard to its charges. Among the pressing and important subjects to which. in my opinion. the attention of Cengress should be directed. are those relating to fraudulent naturalization and expatriation. The United States. with great liberality. offers its citizenship to all who. in good faith. comply with the requirements of law. These requirements are as simple and upon as favorable terms to the emigrant as the high privilege to which he is admitted can or should permit I do not propose any additional requirements to those which the law now demands. But the very simplicity and the want ot unnecessary formality in our law have made fraudulentnaturalization not infrcq uent. to the discredit and injury of all honest citizens. whether native or naturalized. Cases of this character are continually being brought to the notice of the Government by our representatives abroad. and also those of persons resident in other countries. most frequently those who. if they have remained in this country long enough to estitle theus to become naturalized. have generally not much overpassed that period. and have returned to the corntry of their origin. where they reside. avoiding all duties to the United States by their absence. and claiming to be exempt from all duties to the country of their nativity and of their residence. by reason of their alleged naturalization. It is due to this Government itself. and to the great mass of the naturalized citizens who entirely. both in name and in fact. become citizens of the United States that the high privilege of citizenship of the United States should not be held by fraud. or in derogation of the laws and of the good name of every honest citizen. On many occasions it has been brought to the knowledge of the Government that certificates of naturalization are held and protection or interference claimed by parties who admit that not only they were not within the United States at the time of the pretended naturalization. but that they have never resided in the United States. in others. the certificate and record of the court show on their face that the person claiming to be naturalized had not resided the required time in the United States. in others. it is admitted upon examination that the requirements of law have not been complied with. in some cases. even. such certificates have been matter of purchase. These are not isolated cases. arising at rare intervals. but of common occurrence. and which are reported from all quarters of the globe. Such occurrences cannot and do not fail to reflect upon the overnment and injure all honest citizens. Such a fraud being discovered. however. there is no practicable means within the control of the Government by which the record of naturalization can be vacated. and should the certificate be taken up. as it usually is. by the diplomatic and consular representatives of the government to whom it may have been presented. there is nothing to prevent the person claiming to have been naturalized from obtaining a new certificate from the court in place of that which has been taken from him. The evil has become so great and of such frequent occurrence that I cannot too earnestly recommend that some effective measures be adopted to provide a proper remedy and means for the vacating of any record thus fraudulently made. and of punishing the guilty parties to the transaction. In this connection I refer also to the question of expatriation and the election of nationality. The United States was foremost in upholding the right of expatriation and was principally instrumental in overthrowing the doctrine of perpetual allegiance. Congress has declared the right of expatriation to be a natural and inherent right of all people. but. while many other nations have enacted laws providing what formalities shall be necessary to work a change of allegiance. the United States has enacted no provisions of law and has in no respect marked out how and when expatriation may be accomplished by its citizens. Instances are brought to the attention of the Government where citizens of the United States. either naturalized or native born. have formally become citizens or subjects of foreign powers. but who. nevertheless. in the absence of any provisions of legislation on this question. when involved in difficulties or when it seems to be their interest. claim to be citizens of the United States and demand the intervention of a Government which they have long since abandoned and to which. for years. they have rendered no service. nor held themselves in any way amenable. In other eases naturalized citizens. immediately after naturalization. have returned to their native country. have become engaged in business. have accepted offices or pursuits inconsistent with American citizenship. and evidence no intent to return to the United States until called upon to discharge some duty to the country where they are residing. when at once they assert their citizenship and call upon the representatives of the Government to aid them in their unjust pretensions. It is but justice to all bonafide citizens that no doubt should exist on such questions. and that Congress should determine. by enactment of law. how expatriation may be accomplished and change of citizenship be established. I also invite your attention to the necessity of regulating by law the status of American women who may marry foreigners and of defining more fully that of children born in a foreign country of American parents who may reside abroad. and also of some further provision regulating or giving legal effect to marriages of American citizens contracted in foreign countries.