Mr. Adee to Mr. Beaupré.
Washington, August 30, 1904.
Sir: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 14, of the 15th ultimo, on the subject of the applications of Mr. William A. Tappen and his son, Charles L. Tappen, for passports, from which it appears that Mr. Tappen was born in Germany, emigrated to the United States in 1868, lived there until 1881, was naturalized on May [Page 37] 29, 1876, went to the Argentine Republic in 1882, returned to the United States in 1886, remained there about a year, and then returned to the Argentine Republic, where he has since resided; and that his son was born at St. Louis, Mo., in 1886.
In reply I have to say that the Department is not advised of all the circumstances surrounding the case and can not definitely decide it. The question is, does Mr. Tappen intend to return to the United States or does he not? Taking the Department’s circular instruction of March 27, 1899,a and applying it to Mr. Tappen’s application you should be able to decide whether a passport should issue.
The case of his son is simple. Having been born in this country he is a citizen thereof and can not divest himself of his American citizenship during his minority. He is, consequently, entitled to a passport until he reaches the age of 21 years, when he may elect his nationality. (See Van Dyne on Citizenship, p. 24, et seq.)
I am, etc.,
Acting Secretary.
- Printed in Foreign Relations for 1902, p. 1.↩