[Inclosure 2.] Mr. Powell to Mr. Férère. AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, September 2, 1904. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your excellency's favor, in which you call my attention to the naturalization of a certain class of persons who claim to be American citizens. I have the honor to state to your excellency that this legation has been for some time engaged on this matter, and that it is awaiting further instructions from the honorable Secretary of State, Hon. John Hay, in regard to it. Accept, etc., Mr. Adee to Mr. Powell. W. F. POWELL. No. 637.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 13, 1904. SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 1520, of the 31st ultimo, in continuation of the subject of your No. 1500, of August 17, 1904, in regard to the fraudulent United States naturalization certificates in the possession of Syrians residing in Haiti. I am in receipt of a letter of the Sth instant from the Acting Attorney-General, to whose Department the matter was referred, in which he requests the Department to ascertain, if possible, whether these certificates are forged, or whether they have been secured in the United States courts through fraud and perjury, and also whether they are sold by a citizen of the United States or by a resident of Haiti. You will endeavor to secure the desired information and report the results of your investigation to the Department. I am, etc., ALVEY A. ADEF, Acting Secretary. Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay. No. 1537.] LEGATION OF THE UNITED STATES, Port au Prince, September 14, 1904. SIR: I have the honor to inclose to the Department three naturalization certificates that I believe have been issued fraudulently; one was issued by the United States district court of Connecticut to Metry Khoury. In questioning this man I found he was born in Tripolis; spoke English fairly well; stated he was in business as merchant; had been to the United States, but did not know how long he stayed there; did not know the street he lived on; had never been to New Haven; did not know the name of H. Hoarse (name of witness in certificate); received this paper in New York; paid, he thinks, $3 for it; did not know the one who gave it to him. This was the only paper he had ever had; was asked no questions by any person when certificate was given. The second, Salim Kalil, has certificate issued by the circuit court FR 1904 M- -26 of St. Louis. On questioning him-he, by the way, spoke no English— he stated he was born in Tripolis, Syria; did not know how old he was when he came here; had lived a few months in New York, Pittsburg, Chicago, and St. Louis; never stayed at any place long; was a peddler; came from New York to Porto Rico, and from the latter place here; did not know the date or time he had lived in any of the places named; knew the witness whose name was signed to the paper. Asked where he had lived, he stated that he did not know; that he did not know what he ate the previous night; his memory was poor. Asked what he paid for this certificate, he did not know, "possibly a glass of grog, or $1 or $2, or any old thing." Asked if he had received any other papers before this, replied he did not know; afterwards, he had received 1, 2, or 3 papers. Asked if any questions had been asked him at the time this paper was given, replied, the big man (judge) had asked him who was President. The same question was asked him here, and he replied, "a man by name Roosevelt." Neither of these men are married. The last named is to be married within a few days. The first certificate (Metry Khoury) I believe is fraudulent. Of the two men he seems to be the frankest. The other (Salim Kalil) I have some doubts. I believe he has told an untruth in regard to his possession of this certificate. Both men professed not to know anything of the person who gave such certificates, nor did they know of any Syrian that had been naturalized. The third (Joseph A. Salloum), Syrian, born at Tripolis, Syria. On examining him he states that he has been off and on in the States about four years and six months; that he never lived in Hartford, though he went there with a man who procured him this paper; that he was in court when the paper was given him, January 15, 1904; that he did not know the man who went with him; that on the 27th of January (same year) came to this place and has since resided here; that he could not speak English; that he was 27 years old (paper states arrived at age January 22, 1901), and that he paid $4.75 for it, and, finally, that he was unmarried. I have informed them in arresting their certificates that they would be sent to the honorable Secretary of State for further investigation, and until I received an answer from the Department they would be under the protection of your legation. The Haitian Government has also taken this matter up. It is at this time, the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1), that patents and licenses are issued. The minister of interior has notified the communal authorities in the Republic that all Syrians in business shall pay for their patents or licenses the same as other foreigners in like business, where they claim to be Americans. The matter of their citizenship will be referred to this legation. I have, etc., W. F. POWELL. No. 1540.] Mr. Powell to Mr. Hay. AMERICAN LEGATION, Port au Prince, September 15, 1904. SIR: I have the honor to inclose to the Department the naturalization certificate of Assad Kalil Abynemer, born near Beirut, Syria. On examining him he states that he lived in the United States about four years (certificate states eight years); that he is a merchant; that he has had no other paper; has made no declaration of becoming an American citizen; that he bought this paper from a man in New York (he did not know him) who stated that as he was going to Haiti he had better have such document as it would help him in business; that he did not know Mickel Isaac (the witness named in certificate) and that he paid for this paper $50, receiving it as he was about to leave New York in January of the present year. I have returned to him the same answer as I have to the others (see No. 1537, September 14, 1904). I especially call the attention of the Department to a close examination of the seals that arc attached to these documents. I have, etc., Mr. Adee to Mr. Powell. W. F. POWELL. No. 640.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 26, 1904. SIR: Referring to your No. 1520, of August 31 last, I inclose for your information and guidance copy of a letter from the Acting Attorney-General reporting concerning the fraudulent naturalization of Antoine Kalil Hage. I am, etc., ALVEY A. ADEE, [Inclosure.] Mr. Purdy to Mr. Hay. DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE, Washington, September 22, 1904. SIR Replying further to your letter of the 13th instant, inclosing a copy of a dispatch from the legation at Port au Prince, Haiti, together with a fraudulent certificate of naturalization taken from one Antoine Kalil Hage, I have the honor to inclose herewith for your information a copy of a letter, under date of the 19th instant, from the United States attorney for the district of Connecticut, reporting the result of his investigation concerning the issuance of the certificate above referred to, purporting to have been issued by the United States circuit court for that district. It appears that the certificate taken from Hage is a forged instrument, and that the seal on this certificate is not and never was the seal of the United States circuit court for the district of Connecticut. It is probable that the forged certificate was made in New York City, where the holder claimed it was purchased by him. I suggest that the legation at Port au Prince be requested, when any of these certificates are presented, to ascertain the name and address of the person who sells these certificates in New York, in order that the proper steps may be taken with a view of prosecuting the persons guilty of violations of the naturalization laws. The certificate transmitted with your letter is herewith returned. Respectfully, M. D. PURDY, Acting Attorney-General. [Subinclosure.] Mr. Parker to the Attorney-General. HARTFORD, CONN., September 19, 1904. SIR: Your letter of September 15, marked with the initials "M. D. P." and file No. 40605, inclosing copy of a dispatch to the Secretary of State from the legation at Port au Prince, Haiti, together with the fraudulent certificate of naturaliziation taken from one Antoine Kalil Hage, is at hand, and, pursuant to your instructions, I have made such investigation as seems necessary in this instance. The certificate is a forged instrument, the signature purporting to be the signature of Mr. Marvin, clerk of the circuit court, is a forged one, and the seal is not and never was the seal of the circuit court of the United States for the district of Connecticut. The blank certificate is, in my judgment, filled out in one handwriting, and the same person who signed Mr. Marvin's name as clerk wrote the body of the instrument. On the 6th day of April, 1904, the only business transacted in the circuit court of the United States for this district was the admission of an attorney to practice, and no person was naturalized on that day, nor has any person of the name of Antoine Kalil Hage ever been naturalized in that court. The man Abdul Hoss, who purports to have made the affidavit, is undoubtedly a myth, and no such person has ever lived in Hartford, so far as I can ascertain, and the name of no such person has ever appeared upon our city directory. The affidavit states that he resides at No. 243 Pearl street, Hartford. There is no building on Pearl street known as No. 243. The place where such a building would be, if any existed, is an alleyway between two buildings. The affidavit of the witness purports to show that the applicant resided at No. 28 Main street in Hartford. There is not now, and there never has been a building known as No. 28 Main street. The place where such a building would stand with that number is a part of a small public park, and has always been so. I send you herewith a blank certificate of naturalization, obtained from Clerk Marvin, on which I have caused to be imprinted the seal of the circuit court. The blank on which this forged certificate was made out is one of the lot printed for Clerk Marvin by Clark & Smith, printers of this city. Mr. Clark, the senior partner, after a careful examination, says that it is undoubtedly one of the lot which he printed for Mr. Marvin. How such a blank came into the possession of the persons who forged this certificate can not be ascertained. Mr. Clark, the printer, states that he printed only one lot and that the entire lot was delivered to Mr. Marvin, the clerk, and that if any of the blanks were abstracted while in his possession he is absolutely unable to account for the loss, and to the best of his knowledge and belief he delivered every perfect copy to Mr. Marvin. Mr. Marvin keeps these blanks in a closed case in his office, and he informs me that the only way in which any person could obtain a copy would be by a casual carrying off from his desk or table when the blanks were taken out for use. The handwriting in the certificate is not that of any person ever employed in Mr. Marvin's office, and it would seem probable that the forged certificate was made in New York, where the man Hage purchased it. I return herewith the forged certificate and will call Judge Platt's attention to the matter at the session of the district court to-morrow. It does not seem to me that anything can be done toward ascertaining the person who forged this certificate by further investigation here in Connecticut. I respectfully report the result of my inquiries and await further instructions, if you deem it advisable to make any further investigations in this matter. Very respectfully, FRANCIS H. PARKER, ITALY ARBITRATION OF THE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OF CLAIMS AGAINST VENEZUELA. (See under the Netherlands, p. -.) NEUTRALITY OF CHINA IN THE WAR BETWEEN RUSSIA AND JAPAN. Mr. Hay to Mr. Meyer. [Telegram.-Paraphrase.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 10, 1904. (Mr. Hay instructs Mr. Meyer to consult with the Government of Italy in regard to the possibility and desirability of an arrangement between the neutral powers to use their good offices with Russia and Japan for the puropse of inducing them to respect China's neutrality and administrative entity as far as possible, limiting and localizing the area of hostile operations to minimize the disturbance and excitement of the Chinese people and the injury to commerce and to the peaceful intercourse of the world. If no opposition to this proposition is offered he is instructed to suggest that the representatives of Italy at St. Petersburg, Tokyo, and Peking be instructed in his sense.) No. 332.] Mr. Iddings to Mr. Hay. AMERICAN EMBASSY, Rome, February 12, 1904. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt on February 11 of your telegraphic instruction of February 10. The ambassador being absent, I immediately called upon the minister for foreign affairs, Signor Tittoni, and informed him of your suggestions. The minister said he approved heartily of all that the United States proposed that the neutral powers should use their good offices to persuade Japan and Russia to respect the neutrality of China, and that it would be desirable, to localize and limit the area of hostilities as far as possible, so as to avoid disturbance among the Chinese populations. As to sending instructions in this sense to Italian representatives in Petersburg, Tokyo, and Peking, he would give a definite reply as soon as he had heard the views of the cabinets in Berlin, London, and Paris. |