> >> > Did the American army conscript foreign citizens? > > > > On Friday, 28 June 2013 10:58:24 UTC+1, Evertjan. wrote: > >> Yes, in/from? 1942, however the foreign citizenship was not the point, > >> their US-residency and not having the US citizenship are, methinks. > > > > I'd have thought being a foreign citizen was the entire point! > > > On Friday, 28 June 2013 16:09:54 UTC+1, Evertjan. wrote: > No, US law is not interested in what residents and others have for foreign > nationalities [perhaps] in addition to the us-citizenship. > US-law has this in common with many if not most other laws. > Perhaps you wrongly read "foreign citizen" as "not-us"?? I think you must not have read my last post. In 1917, when Charlie Henry was drafted, the law in force in America was the Selective Service Act of 1917. This permitted non-US citizens to be conscripted only if they had started the process of applying for US citizenship - it specifically exempted non-US citizens from conscription if they had not begun the process (ie if they were 'non-declarants'). According to his draft card Charlie Henry was a non-declarant British citizen who in 1917 was living just a short way across the border from his Canadian birthplace, yet was conscripted into the American army. It would be interesting to know more about the circumstances of his conscription. Matt Tompkins

mllt1@le.ac.uk wrote: > I think you must not have read my last post. In 1917, when Charlie Henry was drafted, the law in force in America was the Selective Service Act of 1917. This permitted non-US citizens to be conscripted only if they had started the process of applying for US citizenship - it specifically exempted non-US citizens from conscription if they had not begun the process (ie if they were 'non-declarants'). According to his draft card Charlie Henry was a non-declarant British citizen who in 1917 was living just a short way across the border from his Canadian birthplace, yet was conscripted into the American army. > > It would be interesting to know more about the circumstances of his conscription. Matt: Hate to jump into the middle of this but need a clarification. Do you KNOW he was drafted. The card you are referring to is a REGISTRATION CARD. It does not mean he was drafted. If he was, get his military records (if they didn't burn in St. Louis). However, you needed this card to work during the ww1 years and could be stopped on the street by patriotic bullies and made to show the card. Many men never registered but did serve. ecunningham@att.net

On Sunday, June 30, 2013 10:04:14 PM UTC+1, ecunningham wrote: > Matt: Hate to jump into the middle of this but need a clarification. Do > you KNOW he was drafted. The card you are referring to is a REGISTRATION > CARD. It does not mean he was drafted. If he was, get his military > records (if they didn't burn in St. Louis). However, you needed this > card to work during the ww1 years and could be stopped on the street by > patriotic bullies and made to show the card. Many men never registered > but did serve. > ecunningh***.net A good question - all we know is that Tickettyboo's original post said 'a month later he was enlisted'. It's one of the circumstances one would like to know more about - was he conscripted unwillingly, or did he accept the draft more or less willingly, or did he simply volunteer (the last seems unlikely - his statements in the draft card do not point to much desire for service.) If Tickettyboo knows anything more it would be interesting to hear it. Matt Tompkins