Legation of the United States,
Montevideo, Uruguay, May 21,
1901.
No. 442.]
The case of Mr. Hufnagel seems unusual to me and is referred to you for
instructions.
[Inclosure.]
Mr. Hufnagel to
Mr. Finch.
Commercial Agency of the United States,
Paysandu, May
11, 1901.
Sir: I have three sons; the oldest, George
A., was born at Baltimore, Md., and is now United States
vice-commercial agent here. The other two, Louis F. E., aged 17
years, and Richard D., aged 15 years, were born here.
When I was in Washington in the month of June, 1899, I called on the
chief of the naturalization bureau, stating to him that I have been
United States consular and commercial agent here since 1873, and
asking him if my two younger sons, born here, would have the
privilege of American citizenship. He answered that any sons of
United States consular officers who were citizens of the United
States are considered Americans, and if my two sons were in the
United States he would give them a certificate of American
citizenship, but as they were at the time at college in Nuremburg,
Germany, he advised me to apply to the United States consul in
Nuremburg (to whom he wrote a few lines), who would take the boys’
deposition and request the United States minister at Berlin to grant
a certificate of citizenship. Following these directions, the boys
received in August, 1899, their certificate of citizenship from the
United States embassy at Berlin. Since then Louis attended college
in Gera, Germany, where it seems this certificate was mislaid, and
he arrived here a few weeks ago without it.
Now, would you kindly inform me if you could grant him a certificate
of citizenship; and if not, what steps I would have to take in order
to have my son exempted from military duty here?
Respectfully awaiting your answer, I remain, etc.,
John G. Hufnagel,
United States Commercial
Agent.
