always the limitations of the laws of Portugal. If a Portuguese citizen emigrated after having been enrolled as a recruit, whether in the active Army or in the reserve, the military tax assessed against him is doubled and he becomes liable to impressment into active service for a period of 2 years. Liability in respect of the military tax extends to the parents and grandparents of those assessed in the case of dependents only. 42. Sweden.-Subjects of Sweden are liable to performance of military duty in and after the calendar year in which they reach their twenty-first year. Article 1 of the convention between the United States and Sweden, signed at Stockholm January 31, 1933, provides that a person possessing the nationality of both the high contracting parties who habitually resides in the territory of one of them and who is in fact most closely connected with that party, shall be exempt from all military obligations in the territory of the other party. Under the naturalization treaty between the United States and Sweden and Norway, concluded May 26, 1869, a naturalized citizen of the United States formerly a subject of Sweden is recognized as an American citizen upon his return to the country of his origin. He is liable, however, to punishment for an offense against the laws of Sweden committed before his emigration, saving always the limitations and remissions established by those laws. Emi gration itself is not an offense, but nonfulfillment of military duty and desertion from a military force or ship are offenses. A naturalized American who performed his military service or emigrated when he was not liable to it and who violated no laws before emigrating may safely return to Sweden. According to the treaty of May 26, 1869, between the United States and Sweden and Norway a naturalized American citizen of Swedish origin, upon renewing his residence in Sweden without the intent to return to America, shall be held to have renounced his American citizenship. The intent not to return to America may be held to exist when the person so naturalized resides more than 2 years in Sweden. IV. STATUS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES WITH THE GOV- 43. While this Government objects to the punishment of naturalized Americans by fines, forced military service, or imprisonment for any unperformed military service which accrued after the entry of the naturalized citizen into the United States, it can give no assurance that any objections which it makes will result in a remission or release. 44. This Government cannot properly protest against punishment for any infraction of foreign law committed prior to the naturalized American's entry into the United States. 45. Naturalized citizens of the United States who come from countries with the governments of which the United States has not concluded naturalization treaties should, before visiting such countries, consider the advisability of inquiring of the appropriate authorities thereof whether they will be immune from molestation in such countries under the military service or other laws. The Department of State does not act as intermediary in such inquiries. The following information is believed to be correct, but is not to be considered as official insofar as it relates to the laws and regulations of a foreign government: 46. Estonia. According to paragraph 20 of the Estonian nationality law of October 27, 1922, the loss of Estonian nationality is conditional on obtaining authorization from the Estonian Minister of the Interior. The applica tion for authorization to renounce Estonian nationality must be accompanied by a certificate showing the acquisition of a foreign nationality. Consequently Estonian nationals who have become nationals of the United States and have not applied for and obtained authorization to renounce their Estonian nationality are considered under the law of Estonia to be nationals of that country. Under paragraph 1 of the Estonian law on military service, all male nationals of Estonia are liable for military service. According to paragraph 2 of the Estonian law on nationality, children born without the territory of Estonia of a father who is an Estonian national are held to be Estonian nationals. Paragraph 6 of the same law expressly provides that no citizen of the Estonian Republic can be at one and the same time a citizen of another state. Consequently a person who was born in the United States of an Estonian father and who therefore acquired both American and Estonian nationality at birth is considered by the Estonian Government to have but one nationality, namely, Estonian. It is understood that the Estonian Government, in view of the provisions of the nationality and military service laws of Estonia, is not prepared to permit persons who have not applied for and obtained authorization to renounce their Estonian nationality to visit Estonia without being required to perform military service or other acts of allegiance. This is understood to apply to persons born in Estonia and naturalized in the United States and to persons born in the United States of Estonian parents. It is understood that, in practice, persons who have presented an ap propriate certificate, required under Estonian law to prove their nationality in a foreign country, have experienced no difficulty in renouncing their Estonian nationality. 47. Finland.-The Finnish "Law Regarding the Loss of Finnish Citizenship" of June 17, 1927, provides for the loss, in certain circumstances, of the Finnish citizenship of Finnish citizens born outside of Finland, and of Finnish citizens born in Finland who become citizens of other countries. |