EXPLOITING BRITISH NATIONALITY.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 27 May 1915, Page 4

EXPLOITING BRITISH NATIONALITY.

Mr 0. E. Zoddington, in the March number of the English Review, explains the Delbruck law with respect to the naturalisation of, Germans. This Jaw provides that all an emigrant has to do before becoming naturalised abroad is to obtain permission from the Fatherland to preserve his German nationality, and the practical effect of this is that his naturalisation does not bind him to his adopted country. In commenting on this Mr Zoddington says that in the countries where naturalisation is granted upon such easy-going terms, as has hitherto been the case in England and France, the privilege of naturalisation in those countries has admirably served the designs of those Germans who, while appearing to have adopted their new nationality heartwhole, have done so solely for the object iof serving the Fatherland in capacities of which we have had, in both France and England, only too i many lamentable instances. That this object was deliberate is demonstrated in the Imperial message announcing the new Natiipility Bill, as well as in Dr. Delbruck's speech introducing the measure. Dr. Delbruck said: "The motives of emigration have in great part become quite different from what they were formerly. The German who emigrates now no longer does so with a view of separating himself economically and politically from his country; on the contrary, the large majority of those who emigrate go with the object of serving their country economically and politically It is- true* that we recognise that there are cases where a German citizen abroad may have an interest in acquiring, side by side with his old nationality, a new nationality, the possession of which would still allow of his usefully representing the interests of his old Fatherland." At present the oath merely calls on the candidate to swear allegiance to the British Sovereign, without compelling him to expressly renounce prior allegiance to Germany, and Mr Zoddington urges that this repudiation should be insisted on, following the American custom. In France, the tapping of official secrets by Germans and Austrians has induced the Government to introduce a Bill drastically amending the existing defective system. "Unless, therefore," says Mr Zoddington, "we give the Secretary of State wider powers, we are face to face with. the undoubted fact I that the privileges of British nationality j can still be exploited, as they have been exploited in past years to the utmost by naturalised aliens for the benefit of a hostile Power. . . . While the new Nationality Act could undoubtedly be amended, to further the end in view, the most effectual means of achieving it is undoubtedly a treaty. There is precedent for this in the 'Bancroft' treaties entered into in 1868 between the United States and various States of the German confederation, the effect of which has been preserved by subsequent Imperial Statutes. They provide that Germans naturalised «in the United States shall be treated by Germans as American citizens and reciprocally."