File No. 811.2222/13499a
The Secretary of State to the Italian Ambassador ( Macchi di Cellere)
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: In respect to the proposed military service convention between the United States and Italy, I desire to clarify the understanding of our Governments in respect to the proviso of article 1, stating that in respect to citizens of the United States the ages shall be those specified in the laws of the United States prescribing compulsory military service. Under the selective service laws of the United States you are, no doubt, aware that the ages fixed for compulsory military service of citizens of the United States are those attained at the particular dates set for registration by proclamation of the President; thus American citizens subject to compulsory military service in the United States are those who, on June 5, 1917 (the date of the President’s first proclamation regarding registration), had attained their twenty-first birthday, and had not attained their thirty-first birthday, and those who, since June 5, 1917, and on or before June 5, 1918 (the date of the President’s second proclamation regarding registration), had attained their twenty-first birthday. It is to American citizens in these classes in Italy to whom the convention will apply, until the President shall issue from time to time subsequent proclamations requiring [Page 721] registration of other classes of Americans, whereupon those classes will come within the scope of the convention.
I trust that your Government will appreciate the necessity on the part of the United States of retaining this classification of American citizens as to ages in order not to confuse the registration machinery in the United States and abroad, and will consequently concur in this interpretation of the proposed convention. This is the understanding which has been arrived at with Great Britain on this point.
A second point which I am desirous of having clearly understood is that registration for military service in the United States of those American citizens who attained military age on June 5, 1917, or June 5, 1918, as above mentioned, shall be regarded as “enrollment” within the meaning of that term in the convention, so that such citizens who have registered, or who shall hereafter register in the United States or abroad will not be subject to Italian military service laws. They will then, in fact, have complied with the clause in article 1 reading, “unless before the time limited by this convention they enlist or enroll in the forces of their own country for the purpose of military service.” The term “enrollment” has been used in the convention with Great Britain and Canada with this understanding.
I shall be pleased if you will be good enough to advise me of your Government’s concurrence in these two interpretations of the convention.
I am [etc.]