United States v. Jogwick

51 F. Supp. 2, 1943 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2315
CourtDistrict Court, N.D. West Virginia
DecidedAugust 24, 1943
DocketNo. 33-F
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 51 F. Supp. 2 (United States v. Jogwick) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering District Court, N.D. West Virginia primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Jogwick, 51 F. Supp. 2, 1943 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2315 (N.D.W. Va. 1943).

Opinion

HARRY E. WATKINS, District Judge.

This is a proceeding under Sec. 338 of the Nationality Code of 1940, 8 U.S.C.A. § 738, to cancel and set aside, on the ground of fraud, the certificate of naturalization issued to the defendant by this court on May 24, 1932.

The Government alleges in its complaint that the defendant, Walter Emil Albert Jogwick, filed his verified petition for naturalization on October 8, 1931; that he took the required oath of allegiance on May 24, 1932; and that, relying upon the truth and good faith of the representations of the defendant, as contained in his petition for naturalization and his oath of allegiance, the United States of America issued a certificate of naturalization to him.

It is alleged that, contrary to his representations and to his oath of allegiance, the defendant was “not in fact attached to the principles of the Constitution of the United States at the time of the filing thereof nor during the five years prior thereto; in that he did not in good faith intend to renounce absolutely and forever all allegiance and fidelity to The German Reich, of which he was then a subject, but in fact intended to retain allegiance and fidelity to said The German Reich; and in that he did not in fact intend to reside permanently in the United States”. And that “he did not in fact renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to said The German Reich; in that he did not in fact intend to support the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; and in that he did not in fact intend to bear true faith and allegiance to the same, but in fact did intend to remain a subject of The German Reich and maintain his allegiance thereto”. The defendant has denied these allegations, and professed his loyalty to the United States.

In order to decide this case ? is necessary to determine the state of mincf of the defendant on May 24, 1932, when he took the oath of allegiance. The burden of proof is upon the government, and it takes more than a mere preponderance of the evidence to establish the government’s case. This is a case in which fraud is charged and such fraud must be established by clear and satisfactory proof. But it is well settled law that the state of a person’s mind on a given date may be proved by his subsequent actions and statements. Schurmann v. United States, 9 Cir., 264 F. 917, 18 A.L.R. 1182, appeal dismissed 257 U.S. 621, 42 S.Ct. 185, 66 L.Ed. 401; Glaser v. United States, 7 Cir., 289 F. 255, certiorari denied 263 U.S. 700, 44 S.Ct. 6, 68 L.Ed. 513; United States v. Baumgartner, D.C., 47 F.Supp. 622; United States v. Bergmann, D.C., 47 F.Supp. 765; United States v. Schuchhardt, D.C., 49 F.Supp. 567; United States v. Kuhn, D.C., 49 F.Supp. 407; United States v. Polzin, D.C., 48 F. Supp. 476; United States v. Ebell, D.C., 44 F.Supp. 43; United States v. Meyer, D.C., 48 F.Supp. 926; United States v. Fischer, D.C., 48 F.Supp. 7; United States v. Murray, D.C., 48 F.Supp. 920; United States v. Wursterbarth, D.C., 249 F. 908, wherein a certificate of citizenship was cancelled after a lapse of more than 35 years; United States v. Wezel, D.C., 49 [4]*4F.Supp. 16; United States v. Ritzen, D.C., 50 F.Supp. 301.

Walter. Emil Albert Jogwick, age 48, came to this country from Danzig with his wife in 1926 at the age of 31. He has a mother and six brothers in Germany, most of whom are now serving in the German army. He served in the German army during the first World War, and while in Danzig was a member of the Citizens Guard, a war veteran’s organization, the members of which served as auxiliary police, helping to fight communism. This organization was active throughout Germany following the Treaty of Versailles, which was signed on June 28, 1919. Defendant admits that he has been bitter about the treatment Germany received in that treaty, which he terms “unjust”, especially that part of it which took Danzig away from Germany, and believes that Germany was entitled to have back the territory which it lost in the last war, and is entitled to colonial possessions. When coming here he had the equivalent of a two year college education. He came to this country at the instance of a brother-in-law, who published a newspaper over here, printed in the German language. Both before and after coming here in 1926, defendant admits that he has been intensely interested in the internal affairs of Germany and has read all he could on this subject in newspapers and magazines. Nevertheless, he stated on direct examination that he had never even heard of Hitler or his theories until he became Chancellor of Germany in 1933. Adolph Hitler commenced his agitation for National Socialism in Germany immediately after the Treaty of Versailles. Defendant admitted on cross examination that he remembered hearing about the “Beer Hall Putsch” in Munich on November 9, 1923, when sixteen of Hitler’s adherents were killed in one of his first efforts to obtain power. Hitler himself was imprisoned and remained in prison until December 20, 1924. He says that he never belonged to the German American Bund, was never asked to join, and never heard of the “Teutonia Society” or the “Friends of the Hitler Movement”, names by which the National Socialistic movement was known here before it put Hitler into power in Germany.

He had not been in this country long until he found employment at a good salary. He became an active church member, purchased property and formed friendships. Two sons became citizens of this country by reason of their birth on American soil. The elder son was a Boy Scout, and defendant became active in this organization, often taking the boys on hikes. He contributed money to charitable and humanitarian organizations. It is only natural to assume that as the years passed the ties to his fatherland would become less binding and his loyalty and fidelity to this country would increase. United States v. Schuchhardt, supra; United States v. Kuhn, supra. After he was naturalized in 1932, nothing occurred to test his true feelings and loyalty to this country until about 1939, when Germany started on the march to regain territory which Hitler claimed had been unjustly taken away from them at Versailles.

Several witnesses, including fellow employes working in the same room with him, have testified to many anti-American statements made by him both before and after our entry into war with Germany. Some of these statements are admitted as true by defendant, with 'the explanation that he did not mean what he said, or had since changed his mind. Others are denied, but neither the explanations nor the denials are convincing to this court. Prior to Pearl Harbor he stated that he favored the German form of government and their philosophy of life; that if the United States entered the war, they had better put him in a concentration camp so he could not do any harm; that a man of his age should never migrate as it was impossible to get his native country out of his system, and that he made a mistake in coming over here; that he approved of German invasion of Poland, and admired Hitler; that he thought the German Empire should once more become a power and have the prestige it had before the last war; that our American boys were not physically fit and would make no capable opposition for Germans; that the culture of the German people was higher — we were used to jazz music and Hollywood.

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Bluebook (online)
51 F. Supp. 2, 1943 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 2315, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-jogwick-wvnd-1943.