HAW-HAW NOT BRITISH

Grey River Argus, 19 September 1945, Page 5

HAW-HAW NOT BRITISH

U.S.A. BIRTH CERTIFICATE LONDON, Sept. 17 ’ At the trial of William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw), Sir W. Hartley said that Joyce, when apprehended, was carrying a birth certificate, the purport of which was that he was born in America of a father whose birthplace was recorded as Ireland. Later Joyce made a statement tnat he was born in America in 1906, and that his father, who was born in Ireland and his mother, who was born in England' became naturalised citizens of the United States before his birth. If that were true, it would mean, at all times material to this case, Joyce was an American citizen and that he owed no natural duty of allegiance to the British Crown. But he was still capable, he said, as an alien, of placing himself under protection of the Crown, clothing himself with the status of a British subject and taking on himself an obligation to be loyal and faithful to tne Crown. Joyce had been granted a British passport whes he had declared that he had been born in Galway, and had' not lost his status as a British subject. No matter where Joyce was born, so long as his British passport was valid, he placed himself , under the protection of the British Crown, said counsel. Joyce, a lew days after the passport was renewed, went to Germany and, according to a German work book, in which he was described as a British subject, the German Broadcasting’ Organisation in September, 1939, engaged him as an editor and announcer of English news. , . T Mr. G. O. Slade, counsel for Joyce, at the conclusion of the case for the prosecution, submitted' that as a matter of law, there was no case for the jury on any count. Mr. Slade said that there was not even prime-facie evidence that Joyce was ever a British subject. , IIT ... . Mr. Justice Tucker: I think, in the case of a man who signs an application for a passport and himself as a British citizen, it is impossible to say there isn t some evidence in favour of the proposition that he was a British citizen. Mr Slade accepted the ruling. Counsel summarised his argument to the jury thus: Joyce was born out of His Majesty’s Dominions, and to a father who was not a British subject at the time of his birth. William Jovce in other words, was bprn and always had remained a subject of the United States. The Court was adjourned.