Speech #710319778

We have before the House a very important matter concerning the citizenship of married women. .which has not been given any consideration at any time during this session of Congress. I think it is only fair to the membership of the House that the gentleman explain the full purport of the last section to which the conferees have agreed. so far as the regaining of citizenship by married women. and especially in cases where they have expatriated themselves and are being given the privilege of availing themselves of the privilege of regaining their citizenship. Before the gentleman proceeds let me say that I notice that in one of the clauses it is proposed to give a married woman the right to retain her citizenship regardless of race of whom she is married to. I wish to inquire specifically whether a woman who was born in this country and married an alien would be obliged to take the citizenship of her husband or whether she would be entitled to the citizenship of the country of her birth. I have in mind a distinct case where a nativeborn woman living in my district married a person who had thought his father had been naturalized. but who was not. and in that case the woman was deprived of her right as a citizen because of the fact that her husband was an alien.