All the watch officers of the United States must be citizens of the United States. Section 4131 of the Revised Statutes. as amended by the act of May 28. 1896 (Navigation Laws. p. 54). provides: All the watch officers of vessels of the United States who slall have charge of a watch. including pilots. shall In all cases be citizens of the United States. The word " officers " shall Include the chief engineer and each assistant engineer in charge of a watch on vessels propelled wholly or In part by steam: and after the 1st day of January. 1897. no person shall be qualified to hold a license as a commander or watch officer of a merchant vessel of the United States who is not a nativeborn citizen or whose naturalization as a citizen shail not have been fully completed. I[NoTr.-Under British law the citizen or subject of any nation may be an officer of a British merchant ship if he is proved competent. but the iaws of nations generally limit officers of their merchant vessels to their own citizens or subjects.] Section 2 of the pending bill in a guarded manner gives the President the discretionary power to waive the requirement of citizenship. While the need for this departure from a principle we have always followed is to be regretted. it is essential to give any efficacy to the measure.
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naturalization