Speech #780234608

Mr. President. let me make a brief explanation of this bill. The bill relates to naturalized American citizens who were residing abroad at the time of *the outbreak of the war. and who have been unable to return to the United States. thereby endangering their nationality. Under the provisions of our nationality laws. any person who is a naturalized citizen. and who returns to the land of his origin and remains there for as long as three years. thereby loses his citizenship. There are a great many American citizens who. by virtue of conditions created by the war. have been unable to return to the United States. If those citizens do not return by a certain date in OctoberI do not recall the exact date. but I believe it is the 6th of Octoberthey will lose their American citizenship through no fault of their own. The bill would merely extend to October. 1945. the time within which certain naturalized citizens who have been denied the privilege of returning to the United States may have the opportunity to return and save their Americar citizenship. and would prevent them from being divested of their citizenship.