Alphonso Taft to Count Kalnoky, November 16, 1883

Mr. Taft to Count Kalnoky.

Your Excellency: There has been presented to the undersigned, minister of the United States of North America, a complaint, which is herewith inclosed, asking the undersigned to apply to the Austro-Hungarian Government for the release from military service in the Austrian army, of Vitus Taxacher. The case, as stated, is that Taxacher, at the age of nineteen, in the month of April, 1874, was examined before this Government for military service and found incapable, but ordered to return a year after for a second examination; that during the year he emigrated to America, and there, remained eight years and became duly naturalized as an American citizen, as evidenced by the duly authenticated certificate of his naturalization, which is herewith inclosed. That in June, 1883, he returned to visit his father in Bohemia, where he was arrested and subjected to military service, and has been several months so detained against his will.

I respectfully submit that under the provisions of the treaty of September 20, 1870, he is entitled to be released, as he was not at the time of his emigration enrolled as a recruit, nor did he fall within any other of the conditions of clauses 1, 2, 3, of Article II of said treaty, which enumerate the cases in which an American naturalized citizen who has emigrated from Austria-Hungary can be called to account on his return to this Empire for a violation of his military obligations to this Government.

I avail myself, &c.,