COURTESIES TO U. S. S. ANNAPOLIS BY COMMANDANT OF FRENCH NAVAL STATION AT ALGIERS. No. 879.] Mr. Hay to Mr. Porter. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: Under date of the 1st, instant the Acting Secretary of the Navy transmits a copy of a letter from Commander Karl Rohrer, commanding the U. S. S. Annapolis, in which that officer reports that in order to repair an injury which occurred to the safety valve of the vessel's boiler on February 2 last a particular piece of brass tubing which was required could not be obtained in the port of Algiers, where the vessel then lay, and that therefore the commander, accepting the kind offer which had been made by Rear-Admiral Albert Servan, the commandant of the French naval station at that place, applied to him for assistance. There being no pipe of the required size in stock, the admiral ordered an ingot to be cast, bored, and turned, gave to the commander two sections of tubing of the size and length required, and declined to have a bill made out for the material and work involved. You will express to the Government of the French Republic the thanks of the Navy Department for the kind and courteous treatment extended by Rear-Admiral Servan to a vessel of the United States and to her commander. I am, etc., JOHN HAY. COURTESIES TO UNITED STATES MILITARY ATTACHÉ AT FRENCH GRAND AUTUMN MANEUVERS. Mr. de Margerie to Mr. Hay. [Translation.] EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC IN THE UNITED STATES, Manchester by the Sea, August 3, 1901. Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: The minister of war of France has decided to invite the foreign military attachés to witness the grand maneuvers which will be performed this year by the First, Second, Sixth, and Twentieth Army corps, under the direction of General Brugère. Having been instructed to transmit this invitation to the Federal Government, I will thank you to inform me, as speedily as possible, whether it desires the military attaché of the United States embassy at Paris to witness these maneuvers. I will add that if said officer goes to the French grand maneuvers he will have to present himself on the 10th of September next to the staff of the army (second bureau), where he will be informed of the arrangements made regarding foreign officers. These officers will attend the maneuvers on and after September 13 and the final review on the 19th. Be pleased to accept, etc., P. DE MARGERIE. No. 417.] Mr. Adee to Mr. de Margerie. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 13, 1901. SIR: Replying to your note of the 3d instant, I have the honor to inform you that the Acting Secretary of War, under date of the 10th idem, says that the invitation of the Government of the French Republic to that of the United States to be represented at the grand maneuvers of the First, Second, Sixth, and Twentieth French Army corps in September next, is accepted with pleasure, and that suitable instructions have been sent to the military attaché of the United States at Paris. ALVEY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary. Accept, etc., Mr. Hill to Mr. Vignaud. No. 938.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: I inclose a copy of a letter from the War Department relative to the courtesies extended to Capt. T. Bentley Mott, U. S. A., military attaché, the official representative of the United States at the recent French maneuvers, by Colonel de Fontenilliat, who was in charge of the foreign officers, and his assistants, and reciting the thoughtfulness and delicacy on the part of General Brugère, commanding the French army, at a dinner to the foreign officers, in not offering the usual toasts to the sovereigns and chiefs of state whose representatives were present, owing to the death of President McKinley. It is desired to have you express this Government's thanks for the courtesies extended to Captain Mott, and its profound appreciation of the action of General Brugère on the occasion referred to. I am, etc., DAVID J. HILL, [Inclosure.] Mr. Sanger to Mr. Hay. WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, October 7, 1901. SIR: I have the honor to request that the American ambassador at Paris, France, may be instructed to express in appropriate terms to the French Government the high appreciation by this Department of the many courtesies extended to Capt. T. Bentley Mott, military attaché, the official representative of the United States Army, while attending the recent French grand autumn maneuvers, and especially the polite attentions shown to him by Colonel de Fontenilliat, who had charge of the foreign officers, and his assistants. The thoughtful and delicate action in memory of the death of President McKinley on the part of General Brugère, the general commanding the army, on the occasion of the dinner to the foreign officers, in not offering the usual toast to the sovereigns and chiefs of state whose officers were present, and directing that the regimental music should not play during the dinner as a mark of respect to the official representative of the United States Army, is profoundly appreciated by this Department. Very respectfully, WM. CAREY SANGER, No. 899.] Mr. Vignaud to Mr. Hay. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have to acknowledge receipt of the Department's No. 938 of October 14, instructing this embassy to express the thanks of our Government for the courtesies extended to Captain Mott during the recent maneuvers of the French army, and its profound appreciation of General Brugère's delicacy in not offering the usual toast to the sovereigns at a dinner given to the foreign officers, owing to the death of President McKinley. This instruction was complied with October 25 last. I have, etc., HENRY VIGNAUD. CONDOLENCES ON ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT M’KINLEY. Mr. Delcassé, minister for foreign affairs, to Mr. Hay. [Telegram.] PARIS, September 14, 1901. I beg your excellency to accept the sincere and keen condolences of the French nation and Government, who share with all their hearts in the mourning of the nation and Government of the United States. DELCASSÉ. Mr. Hay to Mr. Delcassé. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 16, 1901. In the name of the American people and their Government I thank your excellency for the fraternal message of sympathy and sorrow on the part of the French Government and people. JOHN HAY. RIGHT OF EXPATRIATION DENIED EMILE ROBIN. Mr. Vignaud to Mr. Hay. No. 902.] EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: Some time ago a naturalized American of French origin, Mr. Emile Robin, applied to this embassy for the purpose of having his name erased from the French military rolls. Robin was born in France on the 9th of January, 1869. After having served in the active army the full term of three years, to which every Frenchman has to submit, he proceeded to the United States, where he was naturalized March 31, 1900. At that time, although released from the active army, he was -till liable to serve in the reserve, and therefore, according to the French law of June 26, 1889, new article 17 of the code, he could not renounce his French nationality without the consent of his Government. At his urgent request the embassy applied, nevertheless, for his complete discharge from all military obligations in France, and I am now in receipt of Mr. Delcassé's reply. The application is refused, on the ground that, as the period during which Robin is liable to serve in the active army (comprising the reserve) only expires on the 12th of March, 1903, when he would be transferred to the territorial army, and further, as he failed to apply to the authorities to obtain consent to change his nationality, his naturalization in the United States has no value in the eyes of the French Government. Such reply was fully expected and contains nothing new, but it defines the position the French Government takes when cases of this kind arise, in a manner so precise that I have deemed it advisable to send you a copy and translation of it. I have, etc., HENRY VIGNAUD. [Inclosure-Translation.] Mr. Delcassé to Mr. Vignaud. PARIS, October 31, 1901. MR. CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES: The 3d of July last the ambassador of the United States applied for my mediation to obtain the striking off our army roll of Mr. Robin (Emile), who had obtained American naturalization on the 31st of March, 1900. My colleague, the minister of war, to whom I hastened to refer the matter, informs me that the result of the information collected by his department is that Mr. Robin has not been authorized by the French Government to be naturalized abroad. By the terms of article 17 of the Civil Code, if a Frenchman is still subject to the obligations of military service in the active army, naturalization abroad will not cause him to lose the quality of Frenchman unless it was authorized by the French Government. As Mr Robin would have been transferred to the territorial army only on March 12, 1903, he was subject to the formality of an authorization when he acquired, in 1900, his American naturalization. That authorization not having been applied for, the naturalization acquired in America by Mr. Robin is without value in the eyes of the French Goverment. General André charges me, in these circumstances, to express to you his regret at being unable to order the striking off of Mr. Robin's name from our army roll. Accept, etc., DELCASSÉ. No. 1510.] GERMANY. EXPULSION OF MAX FRIEDRICH SCHAAF. Mr. White to Mr. Hay. EMBASSY OF THE UNITED STATES, SIR: I have the honor to inform you that on the 11th ultimo the embassy was informed by the consulate at Hamburg that Max Friedrich Schaaf had been ordered to leave that city within fourteen days, and that intervention was at once made in Schaaf's behalf to the end that he might be permitted to remain there until the autumn of 1901, or, if that were not convenient, until next spring (F. P. No. 846.) Schaaf was born at Leipzig in 1872 and emigrated with his parents in 1882 to the United States, where he became a citizen through the naturalization of his father in 1889. After his father's death he returned to Leipzig, in September, 1899, where he remained for about a year, then going to Altona, near Hamburg. A short time after his arrival in that city he was expelled from Prussia on account, it is said, of his father having neglected to obtain his release from German allegiance before his immigration, and he then moved to Hamburg, whereupon he soon received the order referred to above. To-day I have been informed by the foreign office that, in view of the embassy's interest in the case, Schaaf will be allowed to remain in Hamburg until April, but that the senate of the "Free and Hanse City" felt compelled to maintain the order of expulsion, as it was assumed that Schaaf had emigrated in order to evade military service. I am, etc., ANDREW D. WHITE. No. 1159.] Mr. Hay to Mr. White. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 5, 1901. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your No. 1510, of the 17th ultimo, reporting the case of Max Friedrich Schaaf, a naturalized American citizen, who was taken to this country when 10 years old, became a citizen through the naturalization of his father, and, having returned to Germany, has been ordered to leave the city of Hamburg in April next. The German contention in this case appears to be extreme and even scarcely reasonable, as Mr. Schaaf emigrated in his father's care when only 10 years old. This Government would much regret if this case, and others which have within the past two years been reported to your |
