In re Kreuter

Section 21,71 of'the Revised Statutes (Comp. St. 1916, § 4362) of the United States provides that:

Further on in this section the aliens referred to in the sentence quoted are called, in two places, “alien enemies.”

The question is now presented whether or not a citizen of the Imperial German Government can be admitted to citizenship in the United States who filed his petition to become a citizen prior to the declaration of war. The question involved in the controversy is whether of not filing a petition in writing prior to a declaration of war is the ap *986 plication, or equivalent to the -application, to become a citizen, mentioned in section 2171 of the Revised Statutes. This section of the Revised Statutes was enacted July 30, 1813, at a time when we were at war with Great Britain. The reports of the courts do not indicate that this section has been called into use since the general revision of the Naturalization Law adopted in 1906 (Act June 29, 1906; c. 3592, 34 Stat. 596 ). There exists certainly an ambiguity in the statutes, and the question of interpretation is now for the courts.

I' have made up my mind to admit these applicants for citizenship who are citizens of…