Salt Lake Tribune | 1914-11-23 | Page 4 | The Case of Reilly

THE CASE OF REILLY. Something is radically wrong with the naturalization laws when a man who has served the tinted States as a soldier or sailor for nearly twenty-thrijo years is unable to become a citizen. The defect in the law was disclosed Inst Saturday when Bernard Keilly, formerly of Ireland, Ire-land, was denied citizenship on various technicalities, while two or three other men who probably do not know more than 100 words of the English language were made citizens. Judge John A. liar-shall, liar-shall, in strict conformity with the naturalization nat-uralization laws, was compelled to refuse re-fuse Keilly citizenship. To add to the applicant 's difficulties he now finds that he is unable to re-enlist in the navy, because a recent ruling provides that only citizens of the country may join the navy. Keilly could not apply for citizenship under the ruling that an applicant must have been a continuous resident of the citv wherein the application is made for a year, and therefore he hoped to obtain his papers under a law enacted in 1904, which permits those who have served a full term in the navy to obtain their '. papers without other qualification. Here it ws that a technicality barred ; tho way. Eeilly had served three ye3rs ' and eight months of his four years' enlistment en-listment in the marine corps when he purchased his honorable release. The judge was forced to rule that inasmuch as Keilly had not actually served the four years' term, he could not acquire citizenship under the l'J'.4 act. The case of Bernard Keilly is no doubt unusual, but nevertheless the law should be rectified so that a man who purchases honorable release v short of the four years' term may obtaiD citizenship. Surely the country wants no better citizens than those who have served in the navy four years, and Bernard Ber-nard Keilly has served the United States twenty-three years. Although a soldier and a patriot he is a i.'.an without a country.