In re Schmidinger

95 F. Supp. 156, 1950 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2004
CourtDistrict Court, D. Massachusetts
DecidedDecember 22, 1950
DocketNo. 1500-P-303129
StatusPublished

This text of 95 F. Supp. 156 (In re Schmidinger) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, D. Massachusetts primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
In re Schmidinger, 95 F. Supp. 156, 1950 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2004 (D. Mass. 1950).

Opinion

FORD, District Judge.

This is a petition for naturalization filed on July 27, 1949.

It is admitted that the petitioner possesses all of the qualifications for citizenship except that the government contends that he is not “attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States and well disposed to the good order and happiness” of the same. No other ground was presented or argued by the government to support a dismissal of the petition.

No evidence was introduced by the government to indicate that, during the statutory period, July 27, 1944 to July 27, 1949, either by word or deed the petitioner in any way indicated a lack of attachment to the principles of the Constitution of the United States. On behalf of the petitioner, evidence was introduced both by the testimony of the petitioner and his employer that neither by utterance nor action did the petitioner do or say anything that would indicate a lack of attachment to the principles of the Constitution, nor commit any action that could in the slightest degree be deemed an act of disloyalty to the United States. The petitioner is not, and never has been, a member of the German-American Bund nor of any organization, associa[157]*157tion, society or group that believes in, advises, advocates or teaches the overthrow by force or violence of the government of the United States or of all forms of law. I find that during the statutory period the conduct of the petitioner has been exemplary.

During the period from June 4, 1937 to July 27, 1944, the petitioner neither by utterance nor deed indicated that he was not attached to the principles of the United States with the exception, the government contends, of certain acts involving his registration under the Selective Service Act, 50 U.S.C.A.Appendix, § 301 et seq., his induction into the armed services of the United States, and his subsequent discharge therefrom. With respect to this period affirmative evidence was introduced by the petitioner, his employer and a clergyman, attesting to the petitioner’s loyalty and attachment to the principles of the Constitution. No evidence to the contrary was introduced by the government except with respect to his conduct relating to his military service under the Selective Service law.

The petitioner, a native and national of Austria, was born in Gaisau, Austria, on April 15, 1912. After a common schooling, he entered a trade school and took courses in flower and vegetable gardening, and assisted his father, who was a farmer by occupation. Some time in 1937 through the intervention of a mutual friend of his family and one Dr. Robert Metz, he accepted an offer of the latter to emigrate to the United States and work for Dr. Metz as a farmer on the latter’s estate, called “Fernbrook” situated in Lenox, Massachusetts.

The petitioner made lawful entry for permanent residence in the United States at the Port of New York City on June 4, 1937. He was met at the steamship dock by Dr. Metz and immediately thereafter both repaired to Fernbrook where the petitioner has resided continuously from that date until the present time, with the exception of the period when he was in the armed services of the United States. While at Fernbrook he was entrusted with the complete running and management of the farm, he being the only person engaged in farming there. In addition to caring for the dairy, cows, poultry and other farm animals, the petitioner raised vegetables on approximately eighty acres of land. Moreover, he also cultivated flowers, both in a conservatory and outdoors.

Prior to his entry into the United States the petitioner had become affianced to one Ella Weiss in Austria. It was his intention as well as that of his new employer that Ella Weiss should join the petitioner in this country as soon as the petitioner and his employer found their association mutually acceptable. Thereafter Dr. Metz and his late wife made many attempts, through the State Department and persons of national prominence, to secure a visa for said Ella Weiss. In the meantime, however, the armies of Hitler ’had marched into Austria, and at a later date Ella Weiss found herself to be an enemy alien by reason of a declaration of war.

The petitioner registered with the Alien Registration Division of the United States Department of Justice under the Alien Registration Act of 1940, 8 U.S.C.A. § 451 et seq. He likewise registered for the draft in accordance with the Selective Service law at Local Draft Board No. 82, located in Lee, Massachusetts. On March 1, 1944 he filed a Questionnaire with said Board, making no claim in said Questionnaire (under Series X, Page 6) that he had any conscientious objection to war. The statement appearing in said Questionnaire read: “By reason of religious train-' ing and belief I am conscientiously opposed to war in any form.” This was not signed by the petitioner. The petitioner is a member of the Roman Catholic Church. It appears from the Alien’s Personal History and Statement filed by the petitioner on May 6, 1942 that he did object to service in the land or naval forces of the United States stating that he “can humanly not fight against my brothers.” Notwithstanding his objection to service as set forth in this Personal History and Statement, he was inducted into the armed services of the United States on March 30, 1944 and reported at Fort Devens.

[158]*158The petitioner had been the only employee engaged in operating his benefactor’s large farm. Dr. Metz tried unsuccessfully to secure a replacement. Thereafter, without any prior consultation with and without the prior knowledge of the petitioner, Dr. Metz made attempts to secure the petitioner’s release from the armed services. Dr. Metz believed that the petitioner was of more benefit to the operation of the. farm than he was in the armed services of the country. While certain farm employees are. entitled to deferment by local boards under the Selective Service law, as a matter of fact the petitioner was not entitled to such deferment, inasmuch as the farm of Dr. Metz was not operated as a commercial venture, although certain produce from this farm was donated to certain needy families, in the vicinity. See United States ex rel. Lawrence v. Commanding Officer of McCook Army Air Field, D.C., 58 F.Supp. 933, 943. I find, however, that in seeking the petitioner’s release upon that ground, Dr. Metz acted in good faith.

Some time between March 30, 1944 and May 27, 1944, Dr. Metz informed the petitioner, by letter addressed to Fort Devens, of his attempts to" secure his release from the armed services. He sought the intercession of a former Judge of the District Court of Lee, Massachusetts, a then Senator from Illinois, the State of his domicile, and the then senior Senator from Massachusetts. On April 22, 1944, the Director of Intelligence of the United States Army informed the Illinois Senator that if the petitioner had indicated (as he had) in his Alien’s Personal History and Statement that he objected to service in the armed forces of the United States, it would appear “that he was erroneously inducted inasmuch as Army Regulations 615-500, paragraph 7e(2) (b)2, state that no enemy alien or subject of a country allied with the enemy will be accepted if he objects in writing to service in the army.” On June 21, 1944 the Director of Intelligence wrote to the same Senator informing him, “It has been determined that Paul Schmidinger, a German alien, was erroneously inducted into the Army of the United States and the War Department has accordingly directed that he be discharged.”

In the meantime, on May 27, 1944, the.

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Bluebook (online)
95 F. Supp. 156, 1950 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2004, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/in-re-schmidinger-mad-1950.