4. The certificate and letters of citizenship issued in compliance with the foregoing articles shall be sufficient to establish the nationality of the parties in whose favor authorized.

Given at the presidential palace in Havana the 15th day of December, 1902. T. ESTRADA PALMA, President.

CARLOS DE ZALDO,

Secretary of State and Justice.

[Enclosure 7 in despatch No. 148.-Translation.]

DECREE NO. 174.

By virtue of the powers conferred on me by the constitution, and at the instance of the secretary of state and justice, I hereby decree:

ARTICLE 1. The rules of clause 1 of decree No. 183, of December 15, 1902, relative to the issuance of certificate of nationality and letters of citizenship shall be classed as follows:

Citizens of the Republic, excepting those who have obtained citizenship by virtue of the provisions of article 6 of the constitution, shall have the right to solicit; and there shall be issued to them by the secretary of state and justice a certificate affirming their nationality pending the issuance of proper documents and certificate declaring them to be in possession of citizenship.

Those, however, coming under clause 2 or 3 of article 5, or the second clause of the transitory rules of the constitution, shall establish proof of having complied with the precepts of the law of October 30, 1902.

In case of married women, minors not emancipated or incapacitated, the petition shall be presented by their lawful representatives, which shall affirm their alleged character, and who shall state under oath that the parties represented have been found to be in such political condition.

A married woman may, however, exercise the said right by obtaining a certified copy of her marriage license, or if she be legally separated from her husband, or exempt from marital state.

Given at the presidential palace in Havana the 21st day of April, 1905.

Tomas Estrada Palma, Constitutional President of the Republic of Cuba. Be it known that Congress has enacted and I have sanctioned the following law:

The law of October 30, 1902, referring to the inscription in the registry of civil status of the acts by virtue of which Cuban nationality is acquired, lost or recovered, is hereby amended by adding the following:

ARTICLE VII. If the interested party can not obtain said document through lack of proofs, or that obtained be insufficient, they shall furnish, by means of a statement duly sworn to before the custodian of the registry of civil status, the particulars required, with the exception of the name of the master of the vessel, which shall not be presented on the certificate presented.

Wherefore I command the obedience and enforcement of this law in its entirety.

Given at the presidential palace in Havana on the 13th day of June, 1903. TOMAS ESTRADA PALMA,

The Secretary of State and Justice, ad interim,
José M. GARCIA MONTES.

President.

[Enclosure 9 in despatch No. 148.-Translation.]

LAW OF JUNE 13, 1903.

Tomas Estrada Palma, constitutional President of the Republic of Cuba. Be it known that Congress has enacted and I have sanctioned the following law:

ARTICLE 1. That for foreigners to exercise the rights conferred on them by numbers one and two of article 6 of the constitution it shall be sufficient that they petition in writing, within the six months time fixed by the constitution, their desire to acquire Cuban citizenship, to any authorized official or functionary of the Republic, the date of presentation of said petition to be duly certified.

ARTICLE 2. All officials or functionaries of the Republic having in their possession a petition for naturalization, as prescribed by the foregoing article, shall transmit same, if requested to do so by the party at interest, to the corresponding custodian of the civil registry within three months following the publication of this law.

ARTICLE 3. The functionary or official referred to in the preceding article must accompany said petition with a certificate, duly sworn to, to the effect that same had been presented within the constitutional time limit.

If the presentation shall have been made before a municipal judge in charge of the civil registry, the sworn certificate shall be attached to the bottom of the petition and shall in all cases state such fact in the inscription.

ARTICLE 4. The transmittal of such petitions, until naturalization may be definitely inscribed, shall conform to the rules and regulations established by the law of October 30, 1902.

ARTICLE 5. The three months referred to in article 3 having elapsed without any action by the party at interest. the petition for naturalization, to which reference is made in article 1 of this law, shall become null and void and of no further effect.

ARTICLE 6. This law shall be in force and effect from and after the day following its publication in the Official Gazette of the Republic.

Wherefore I command the obedience and enforcement of this law in its entirety.

Given at the presidential palace in Havana on the 13th day of June, 1903. T. ESTRADA PALMA, President.

The Secretary of State and Justice ad interim.

José M. GARCÍA MONTES.

DENMARK.

[Enclosure in despatch from Mr. O'Brien, minister to Denmark, September 25, 1906.Translation.]

LAW CONCERNING THE ACQUIREMENT AND THE FORFEITURE OF THE RIGHT AS A DANISH-BORN.

We, Christian the Ninth, by the grace of God, King to Denmark, etc.

Make known the " Rigsdag" has voted and we by our assent sanctioned the following law:

§ 1. A legitimate child whose father enjoys the right of a Danishborn acquires by its birth the right of a Danish-born, whether the birth takes place in this country or in a foreign country.

§ 2. Persons who have not acquired the right of a Danish-born by birth, but who are born in this country, acquire the right of Danishborn when they continue after their birth to have their domicile here until they have completed their nineteenth year, unless they during H. Doc. 326, 59-2-20

the last year declare in writing before a chief magistrate (in Copenhagen before the "magistrat ") that they do not wish to acquire the right of a Danish-born and besides prove by a suitable certificate their citizenship in another country. This declaration can not be made with legal effect by a person, being a child of a foreigner, who has himself in the above-named manner declared to maintain his foreign citizenship.

When a man acquires the right of a Danish-born in virtue of this section, it comprises also his wife and his legitimate children.

§3. A foreign woman marrying a man possessing the right of a Danish-born acquires this right by her marriage.

If the consorts have got children with each other previous to the marriage, these children acquire the right of Danish-born, provided that they are minors (under eighteen years).

§ 4. The right of a Danish-born is also acquired by naturalization, according to section 51 of the constitutional law of the 28th of July, 1866.a

The naturalization of a man comprises his wife and his legitimate minor children, if not otherwise provided in the individual case.

§ 5. The right as a Danish-born is forfeited by acquiring citizenship in another country. When a man becomes naturalized in another country, his wife or legitimate minor children, unless they remain domiciliated here, forfeit their right as Danish-born, provided that they become citizens in the foreign country by his naturalization there.

Anybody wishing to become a citizen of a foreign country may be released by royal decree from his connection as a Danish citizen. The release is, however, granted on condition that he, within a certain time, becomes a citizen of another country.

§6. A woman who marries a man not possessing the right of a Danish-born forfeits her right as a Danish-born.

If the consorts have got children with each other previous to the conclusion of the marriage, these children forfeit also their right as Danish-born if they are minors at the time when their parents contract marriage. If they are of age at that time, they keep their right as Danish-born.

§ 7. If a Danish man or a Danish unmarried woman, after having completed their eighteenth year, or a widow after the death of her husband, or a divorced wife after her divorce during ten years without intermission have been domiciliated in foreign countries, they forfeit their right as Danish-born (see, however, section 8) unless the absence is caused by the public service of the Danish Government or they retain their right as Danish-born by a declaration. made in writing before the Danish legation or consulate concerned, in compliance with the regulations laid down on that subject, before the expiration of the said ten years. This declaration must, to remain effective, be repeated before the expiration of the tenth year from the latest declaration.

Only a person who himself has emigrated and his children, as well as the widows of such persons, are admitted to make such a declara

tion.

[ No foreigner can be naturalized except by law.]

When a man (according to this section) forfeits his right as a Danish-born, the loss is extended to his wife and his legitimate minor children, unless they remain in this country.

The provisions of this section can be abolished or restricted in relation to a foreign power by treaty with that power.

§8. A person who has forfeited his right as a Danish-born according to section 7, but who has not become a citizen of another country, recovers his right as a Danish-born by domiciliating himself in this country or even without taking his domicile here by special permission of the King.

The right as a Danish-born, when recovered in this way by a man, comprises his wife and his legitimate minor children, even when they remain domiciliated in a foreign country, and regardless of the marriage having been contracted or the birth having taken place after the husband (respectively the father) has forfeited his right as a Danish-born, and consequently the marriage and the birth having not originally conferred the right as a Danish-born upon the wife and children.

§ 9. An illegitimate child whose mother enjoys the right of a Danish-born acquires by birth the right of a Danish-born, whether the birth takes place in this country or in a foreign country.

In the instances where a legitimate child according to this law follows the condition of the father, the position of an illegitimate child as to citizenship depends on the condition of the mother in his respect.

If the condition of the mother as to citizenship is altered in consequence of her marriage with a man who is not father to her children, the condition of the children as to citizenship is not altered.

§ 10. Children found in this country whose position as to citizenship is unknown are considered till their real position can be ascertained to have the right of a Danish-born.

§ 11. Section 2 of this law applies also to persons born before this law comes into force, but who at that time had not yet obtained the right of a Danish-born according to section 9 of the ordinance of the 15th of January, 1776. A woman living, when this law comes into force, in marriage with a husband having the right of a Danishborn acquires the right of Danish-born.

In other respects the provisions of this law are only to be applied as far as the fact by which the right of Danish-born is acquired or forfeited has taken place after the coming into force of this law.

§ 12. This law does not alter the position in law granted under the existing rules to persons who are not Danish-born in consequence of their having domicile here or having had a fixed sojourn here a certain time.

§ 13. This law is applicable in all parts of the Danish State like the former provisions in this matter which they replace.

It does not apply to persons whose right as Danish-born is reserved by the Article XIX of the treaty of peace of the 30th of October, 1864.

Whereto all whom it may concern have to conform themselves. Given at Amalienborg, on the 19th of March, 1898, under our royal hand and seal. CHRISTIAN R. [L. S.]

DANISH WEST INDIES.

[Enclosure in despatch from Mr. Payne, American consul at St. Thomas, August 1, 1906.] SOME REMARKS BY THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARY OF THE DANISH WEST INDIES ON THE BIRTHRIGHT OF DANISH NATIVES WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO THE DANISH WEST INDIES.

The rules about the acquisition and forfeiture of Danish birthright are to be found in the ordinance of 15th January, 1776, and the law of 19th March, 1898, of which last-mentioned law copies are annexed. These rules are valid in all parts of the Danish State, consequently as well in the European possessions of the State, as in the American (West Indian) possessions. Therefore when in the following remarks the word "Denmark" is used, it is used as synonymous with the Danish State, including the Danish West Indies.

I. The acquisition of birthright as Danish native.
The birthright as Danish native is acquired:

(a) By every legitimate child whose father is a Danish native, whether the child is born in Denmark (including the Danish West Indies) or abroad.

For illegitimate children the birthright as Danish native is acquired when the mother has this right and without regard to where the birth takes place.

(b) By the children of foreigners born in Denmark (including the Danish West Indies), provided that these children from the time of their birth till they have completed their nineteenth year have been domiciled in Denmark (including the Danish West Indies), unless such persons have in the course of the last year made a declaration to the superior authority (in the West Indies the governor) to the effect that they do not wish to acquire Danish birthright, and prove that they are in possession of the right of citizenship in a foreign country. This declaration can, however, not be made with legal effect by one who is the child of an alien who has in the same manner (by declaration) demonstrated his right of citizenship of a foreign country.

For the better explanation of this the following remarks are made: When a foreigner has taken up his residence within the Danish State he continues to be a foreigner unless he be naturalized by law. His legitimate children born here will acquire Danish birthright by remaining within the Danish State unless they, during the time between their eighteenth and nineteenth year make a declaration to the effect that they do not wish to acquire the birthright as Danish natives. But if the family continues to be domiciliated here, the children of those who by making the above-mentioned declaration have maintained their foreign citizenship are Danish natives and can not by any declaration renounce their position as such. It must, however, here be remembered that the legitimate children of the daughters become foreigners if the father himself is a foreigner by birth when in due time they make the aforesaid declaration.

(c) By foreign women who marry a Danish native, and

(d) By foreigners who by a law passed in the Rigsdag and sanctioned by the King acquire birthright as Danish natives. Foreigners domiciliated in the Danish West Indies and who desire to acquire the birthright as Danish natives must consequently, in the same man