Show WASHINTON julie June 15 1959 the following important t ant letter was to today day coral to A V iloner of cincinnati by secretary cass it needs no corn comment ment department or OF STATE ATE TT june 14 8 5 9 arn srn in in answer to your letter ietter of the oth dinst I 1 have to inform you that the bra letter from this department to which you yon refer dated the of may last and addressed to mr felix leclerc was in reply to an application for information and was principally intended to recommend caution to our naturalized fellow citizens natives of france in returning to that country as the operations of the french law wore were not precisely known here and might bear injuriously upon that class of american Amei ican citizens most bloat of the continental european lur nations have a system of military organization by their citizens are compelled compell pd to serve in the army by conscription to france where the duty la is designated by lot or by draft as in prussia where every person is required to take his hia turn as a soldier the condition of american naturalized citizens returning to their native country where here the system of compulos compulsory ory service prevails and who had left before performing such service has frequently been the subject of diar cission with some of the european powers qa quite 1 te recently it has arisen between the united states and prussia and the represents th P of this country at the coul cobit t of berlin has as brought the matter to the attention of I 1 the lie prussian government in ili the instructions which were sent to him birn dated may 12 1859 it was explicitly stated that this government is opposed to the doctrine of perpetual allegiance and main maintains the right of expatriation and the light to form new political ties else elsewhere here upon this subject it is observed that in fit this age of the v world orld tit the e idea of controlling the citizen in the choice of a home lome arid and binding him by a mere political the theory cry to inhabit for ilia hia lifetime a country abi which lie he constantly desires to leave can hardly eardly be entertained by any government whatever the position of the united states as communicated munica ted to the minister at berlin for the inform information aCon of the prussian government go ern ment is that hat native born prussians naturalized in the united unite states and returning to the country of their th ir birth are not liable to any duties or penalties except such as were existing at the he period of their emigration if at that line ime they were in the army or actually c called a ailed into it such stich emigration lind lend tion do not exempt them from the legal penalty which V aich they incurred by their desertion but this penalty may lie be enforced against then whenever li enever they shall voluntarily place themselves within the local jur jurisdiction diction of their native country and ahall be proceeded against according to law hut but when no present liabilities ex exist aga against dinst them at the period or of their emigration the law of nations ill ili the opinion of this governments government gives no right to any country to with naturalized american citizens and the att attempt empt to do so would mould be considered an act unjust in itself arid and unfriendly towards the united states this question cannot ol of course arise in the case of a naturalized cit who iho remains in the united slates it II is only when he voluntarily returns to his native country hat its local laws can be en ell forced a against ainest him J am air sir obedient servant LEWIS CASS |