No. 420.
Mr. Coleman to Mr. Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Berlin, September 12, 1887.
(Received September 24.)
No. 502.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith certain
correspondence relating to the case of Peter Mackeprang, a naturalized
citizen of the United States, whose application for the intervention of this
legation for the purpose of securing the withdrawal of an order of expulsion
issued against him by the Prussian authorities I have felt constrained to
refuse.
Our consul at Hamburg presented Mackeprang’s application to this legation in
a communication of the 11th of July last, which with its in-closures
furnished the following facts:
Mackeprang was born April 24, 1848, at New Gellingsdorf, in Prussia, and
emigrated in the fall of 1868, at the age of liability to perform active
military duty, to the United States, where he claims to have been
naturalized in 1873, submitting in proof of his American citizenship
passport No. 7403 issued by the Department of State, under date of July 15,
1886. Early in June of the present year he returned to his native place with
the intention, judging by his subsequent action, of remaining there
permanently, since, on the occasion of an earlier visit made to that place
about a year ago, he stated in response to the announcement that he had
become liable to a fine of 300 marks that he would return again in a year to
pay the fine and renew his allegiance to Prussia.
[Page 572]
Under date of June 18 last, the royal government of Schleswig Holstein
informed Maekeprang, in reply to his verbal application of the 4th of that
month for re-admission to Prussian nationality, that his wish could not be
granted; and under date of the 29th of that month he received, to a further
application he is presumed to have made, a notification from the authorities
confirming the refusal to re-admit him to Prussian nationality, but
informing him that he would be permitted to continue his sojourn in that
country until the 31st of July following, provided he demeaned himself
properly. Finally, on the 18th of August last, he received a peremptory
order to leave Prussia on the 31st of that month under penalty of forcible
transportation beyond the frontier.
Such explanation as Mackeprang has furnished after long delay, in response to
a request from the minister, in a letter accompanying a communication of the
1st instant from Consul Lang, at Hamburg, I have not found satisfactory, and
have so stated in a communication addressed to that officer on the 3d
instant, in which I inform him that in view of the circumstances of the case
I should not feel justified in intervening for Mackeprang.
I have waited some days before reporting this case, in order that I might
transmit with my report any further communication Mackeprang, who, I am
informed by Consul Lang, has been awaiting the decision of the legation at
Hamburg, to which place the order of expulsion does not apply, might see fit
to make. No further communication has, however, been received from him.
I have, etc.,
[Inclosure 1 in No. 502.]
Mr. Lang to Mr.
Pendleton.
United
States Consulate,
Hamburg, July 11,
1887.
Sir: At the request of a Mr. Peter Mackeprang I
have the honor to submit herewith his passport, certificate of the mayor
of New Orleans, letter from the royal government at Schleswig, letter
from the Kirchspielvogtei at Burg-auf-Fehmarn, and “military case”
blank, properly filled and signed.
Mr. Mackeprang prays for your intervention in his behalf with the foreign
office, requesting that he may be permitted to reside in Fehmarn for
another year.
I have, etc.,
Wm. W. Lang,
United States
Consul.
[Inclosure 2 in No. 502.]
Mr. Pendleton to
Mr. Lang.
Legation of the United States of America,
Berlin, July 12, 1887.
No. 2300.]
Sir: Your letter of the 11th instant, in the
matter of the threatened expulsion from Prussia of Mr. Peter Mackeprang,
is received. Before it can be decided whether intervention in his behalf
would be justifiable all of the circumstances of his application for
re-admission into Prussian allegiance and of the cause of the refusal
thereof must be known, also what reasons are given, if any, for his
expulsion.
Your obedient servant,
Fred’ck V. S.
Crosby,
Second Secretary of
Legation.
By direction of the minister.
[Page 573]
[Inclosure 3 in No. 502.]
Mr. Lang to Mr.
Pendleton.
United
States Consulate,
Hamburg, September 1,
1887.
Sir: On receipt of your favor of July 12 I
addressed Mr. Mackeprang, giving him a synopsis of your letter, and
requesting him to reply to the questions without delay. In reply I
received the inclosed letter, dated July 16, which in no way answered
your question regarding his application for re-admission to Prussian
allegiance.
After an extensive correspondence with Mr. Mackeprang, which led to
nothing, he this morning appeared at the consulate in person and
presented the inclosed order from the royal Kirchspielvogtei at Burgdorf
a. Fehmarn.
He states his case as follows:
About a year ago, when visiting his home (Gellingdorf a. Fehmarn), he was
informed that he had become liable to a fine of 300 marks. He said that
he would return in a year (1887), pay the fine, and renew his allegiance
to Prussia. When he returned some months ago to carry out this intention
he was informed by the authorities that they would not permit him to
renew his allegiance, and handed the order which I transmitted to you in
my respects of July 11.
They will neither inform him at Bergdorf nor at Schleswig why he is
ordered to leave Prussia.
He states that he is an invalid, and that he desires to reside in Germany
about a year, by the advice of his American physician.
At present he is residing in Hamburg, awaiting the result of your
intervention in his behalf.
I have, etc.,
Wm. W. Lang,
United States
Consul.
[Inclosure 4 in No.
502.—Translation].
Mr. Mackeprang to
Mr. Lang.
The American Consulate,
Hamburg:
In compliance with your esteemed communication I called at the
“Kirchspielvogtei” of this place in order to ascertain what reasons
existed to forbid my longer sojourn in Germany. I was informed, however,
by the said authorities that no reason existed nor could any be found
here, but that the consulate would have to apply to the government at
Schleswig to ascertain the lawful reasons.
I respectfully request the consulate at Hamburg to intervene in my behalf
with the government of Schleswig in order to become acquainted with the
facts and to inform me of the same.
Most respectfully,
Peter
Mackeprang.
Neu Gellingsdorf a.
Fehmarn,
July 16, 1887.
[Inclosure 5 in No. 502.]
Mr. Coleman to Mr.
Lang.
Legation of the United States of America,
Berlin, September 3, 1887.
No. 2424.]
Sir: Replying to your letter of the 1st
instant, and referring to other correspondence between this legation and
your consulate, and particularly to the letter addressed to you by this
legation under date of July 12 last, all relating to the threatened
expulsion from Prussia of Mr. Peter Mackeprang, a naturalized citizen of
the United States of German birth, I am constrained to say that I do not
feel that I should be justified in intervening in his behalf with the
German Government with the view of securing a withdrawal of the order
expelling him.
Mr. Mackeprang has endeavored to divest himself of his American
citizenship, has formally applied for re-admission to German
nationality, and his application has been as formally refused. His
reasons for taking such course, if he can indeed be regarded as having
furnished any are not considered satisfactory.
[Page 574]
The circumstances of his case, and especially the facts of a prolongation
of stay having been once granted him, and of the rejection of his
application for re-admission into German nationality, indicate that in
all probability intervention in his behalf, if it were proper to
intervene, would not be successful.
I return Mr. Mackeprang’s passport and the certificate of identification
issued to him by the mayor of New Orleans.
I remain, etc.,
C. Coleman,
Chargé d’Affaires ad
interim.
