Speech #440033552

While we would do everything to stop the alise of American citizenship byGermanAmerican abroad. it should always le with the reservation that they are treated on the same footing with native citizens. and that no abnormal views like the present proposed nmasure shall enter into legislation as to citizenship. I think that I express the GermanAmerican sentiment and the American sentiment when I say that the main defect of the German treaty is that we are left entirely to the goodwill of the German governments. In a revision of the treaty. or rather in concluding a treaty comprising all the states of Germany. the Department of State should exact from the German government provisions tending to place upon a perfectly equal footing naturalized American citizens and their children. so far as their sojoul in Germany is concerned. If. nader the existing treaties. a naturalized German returns to Germany and resides there for two years. the German government is not bound to recognize his own or his childrens citizenship. while a native American may reside. with his children. in Germany as long as he pleases without justifying the German government in the assumption that lie has no intention of returning to the United States. and that he has renounced his American citizenship. It is this unequal treatment against which the opposition of the GermanAmericans is chiefly directel. I admit that the assumption of an intended abuse of the American citizenship for the purpose of residing. with children. hi Germany without being compelled to perform the duties of subjects. is more applicable to naturalized than to native citizens. and we cannot. therefore. censure the German government for being somewhat rigid in demanding proofs that such American citizens sojourn in Gormany for transient purposes only. But a revised treaty should. on the other hand. afford naturalized citizens and their children better protection against annoyances by the German governments than they enjoy under the existing treaties. My friend from West Virginia exaggerates somewhat in asserting that in ratifying the Bancroft treaties the German governments have unreservedly admitted the right of expatriation. If such were the case. our naturalized citizens would not have been placed on an exceptional footing by these treaties. In the ease of Steinkauler. the German government has claimed as a German subject a nativeborn America. on the ground that his father. by his return to Germany. has renounced his expatriation. and the American Government has refused to grant the young cman the protection due to an American citizen. There is evidently ample room for further concessions onl the part of the German government. and the Secretary of State would render the GermanAmericans an important service if he could secure such concessions.