TW Gregory to Woodrow Wilson
Title
TW Gregory to Woodrow Wilson
Creator
Gregory, Thomas Watt, 1861-1933
Identifier
WWP25133
Date
1918 August 23
Description
Attorney General reports that he cannot do anything for the naturalization of Gisella Polachek.
Source
Library of Congress, Woodrow Wilson Papers
Publisher
Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum
Subject
Naturalization--United States
Contributor
Danna Faulds
Language
English
Provenance
Document scan was taken from Library of Congress microfilm reel of the Wilson Papers. WWPL volunteers transcribed the text.
Text
The President,
The White House.
My dear Mr. President:-
In your letter of August 16, 1918, you requested that I have Miss Gizella Polachek looked up as thoroughly as possible without invading her privacy, for the purpose of establishing a judgment as to her loyalty. This, you will remember, is for the purpose of enabling you to except her from the classification of alien enemy so that she may apply for naturalization.
It appears, however, that she filed her declaration of intention on June 7, 1917. Under the naturalization laws, she will not be in position to apply for naturalization until after the lapse of two years from that date. To except her at this time from the classification of alien enemy would, therefore, be perfectly useless to her now. The exception from the classification of alien enemy, as provided in the recent amendment of the naturalization laws, is for naturalization purposes exclusively. Consequently my Department has adopted the policy, with which I am sure you will agree, of taking no action toward the exception of any alien enemy from such classification unless he is in other respects ready for naturalization. A premature exception from the classification would be misleading, in that it might cause the alien enemy concerned to believe himself freed from the alien enemy regulations, whereas such would not be the fact. For this reason the inquiry into Miss Polachek’s loyalty, as suggested by you, would at this time serve no good purpose.
Her case is, however, not as hopeless as she seems to think. She feels reasonably sure that her father was naturalized while she was a minor, but is under the impression that she must prove his naturalization by some tangible and conclusive form of proof. This is not the case. If all the circumstances tend to support her belief in the naturalization of her father, she may safely treat herself as a citizen, even though no record evidence of her father’s naturalization be available.
I am therefore writing to her directly, asking for a statement of the facts and circumstances upon which she bases her belief in the naturalization of her father. If I find that there are reasonable grounds for that belief, I will assure her that she may safely count herself a citizen and will cause her name to be stricken from the alien enemy registration.
Faithfully yours,
TW Gregory
Attorney General.
The White House.
My dear Mr. President:-
In your letter of August 16, 1918, you requested that I have Miss Gizella Polachek looked up as thoroughly as possible without invading her privacy, for the purpose of establishing a judgment as to her loyalty. This, you will remember, is for the purpose of enabling you to except her from the classification of alien enemy so that she may apply for naturalization.
It appears, however, that she filed her declaration of intention on June 7, 1917. Under the naturalization laws, she will not be in position to apply for naturalization until after the lapse of two years from that date. To except her at this time from the classification of alien enemy would, therefore, be perfectly useless to her now. The exception from the classification of alien enemy, as provided in the recent amendment of the naturalization laws, is for naturalization purposes exclusively. Consequently my Department has adopted the policy, with which I am sure you will agree, of taking no action toward the exception of any alien enemy from such classification unless he is in other respects ready for naturalization. A premature exception from the classification would be misleading, in that it might cause the alien enemy concerned to believe himself freed from the alien enemy regulations, whereas such would not be the fact. For this reason the inquiry into Miss Polachek’s loyalty, as suggested by you, would at this time serve no good purpose.
Her case is, however, not as hopeless as she seems to think. She feels reasonably sure that her father was naturalized while she was a minor, but is under the impression that she must prove his naturalization by some tangible and conclusive form of proof. This is not the case. If all the circumstances tend to support her belief in the naturalization of her father, she may safely treat herself as a citizen, even though no record evidence of her father’s naturalization be available.
I am therefore writing to her directly, asking for a statement of the facts and circumstances upon which she bases her belief in the naturalization of her father. If I find that there are reasonable grounds for that belief, I will assure her that she may safely count herself a citizen and will cause her name to be stricken from the alien enemy registration.
Faithfully yours,
TW Gregory
Attorney General.
Original Format
Letter
To
Wilson, Woodrow, 1856-1924
Files
Collection
Citation
Gregory, Thomas Watt, 1861-1933, “TW Gregory to Woodrow Wilson,” 1918 August 23, WWP25133, World War I Letters, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum, Staunton, Virginia.