Allegiance. According to Blackstone, allegiance signifies "the tie which binds the subject to the sovereign in return for that protection which the sovereign affords the subject." Natural or implied allegiance is that obligation which one owes to the nation of which he is a natural-born citizen or subject so long as he remains such, and It does not arise from any express promise. Express allegiance is that obligation which grises from an expressed oath or promise. Local allegiance is that obedience and temporary aid due by an alien to the State or Community in which he resides. Local allegiance is temporary and expires with residence.

Allegiance, American, meaning of, 7952, 8066, 8087.

Allegiance, Oath of, army officers directed to subscribe anew, 3219. Allentown, Pa., act for erection of public building at, vetoed, 5243. Allianca, The, firing upon, by Spanish vessel disavowed by Spain, discussed, 6068.

Allied Conference in London, note to, on participation of United States, 8967.

(See also Entente Allies and Wilson, Woodrow.)

Alsace-Lorraine.-The two French provinces which Germany annexed in 1870 as part of the indemnity from the FrancoPrussian war. The use of the French language was officially forbidden, German colonists were imported by the thousands, and other methods were used to make the land forget its French associations. Alsace and Lorraine are on the French side of the Rhine, and Germany utilized their military advantages by erecting within them two of her strongest fortresses, Metz and Strassburg. The French people, however, kept the memory of their lost provinces ever fresh in their minds, and much of their determination in the later war with Germany arose from their resolve to regain their lost land. Proposals for the disposition of Alsace and Lorraine played an important part in all the discussions of peace terms. Alsace and Lorraine were made independent members of the German Empire, and were known as the Reichsland. Germany.)

(See

The Reischland enjoyed less internal autononly than the other sections of the German Empire, having a status of a dependency as Crown colonies, rather than as integral parts of the Empire. It was administered by a governor appointed by the Kaiser, and it elected only the lower of the two branches of its legislature.

In the World War, France was irrevocably determined to fight to the end rather than surrender its claim for the recovery of Alsace-Lorraine, and with the defeat of Germany, Alsace-Lorraine was returned France in the Treaties of Versailles.

to

The area of Alsace-Lorraine is 5,607 square miles. In 1871 the population was 1.549.738; in 1910, it was 1,828,522. cording to the German figures, of the latter Acnumber, 1,624,260 were German-speaking and 204,262 were French-speaking. than 75% of the inhabitants are Roman More Catholics.

Alsace-Lorraine, wrong of, must be righted, 8424.

Alsop Case. The Alsop case, which was settled by King George V of England, as arbitrator, was a dispute with the Republic of Chile of forty years' standing. out of a debt incurred by a Brazilian to It grew the firm of Alsop & Co., of Valparaiso, a chartered Chilean concern with American members. In settlement of the debt the Brazilian made over to the Chilean firm certain claims from Bolivia lying in territory which was afterward, as of the war of 1879, ceded to Chile. In a result 1909 Secretary Knox demanded the reference of the claim to The Hague, but Chile objected to this unless her government was allowed to use the argument that Alsop & Co. had been expressly excluded from the rights of American nationals by the ChileanAmerican Claims Tribunal in 1900, the American Government having insisted on this exclusion. Then Secretary Knox issued an ultimatum demanding reference of the case to The Hague or payment of a million dollars to the United States. ly an alternative was offered of reference Finalof the claim to King Edward as arbitrator, and Chile was induced to accept this, Dec. 1, 1909. King Edward died, and his son and successor on July 10, 1910, rendered his award in the Alsop claim. £187,000 to the Alsop firm in full settleIt assigned ment, and Chile paid this amount through the United States Government Nov. 18, 1910. The original amount of the claim was £600,000 with interest. was received with satisfaction in the United The award States.

Alsop and Company's Claim settled, 7657.

Alta Vela Island (Santo Domingo), claim of citizens of United States to

guano on, 3827.

Amazon River. (See also Brazil. Physical Features.)

Explorations of, by officers of Navy, 2712, 2724, 2762, 4449. Appropriation for, recommended,

4201.

as

Despite the privileged character of ambassadors, if they act contrary to the laws and sensibilities of the countries to which they are assigned, they may not be treated with, or their recall may be requested, or they may be formally dismissed and a time set for their departure. Ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives are usually, though not always, withdrawn before war is declared.

In 1922, the United States had ambassadors to and from the following countriesArgentina, Belgium, Brazil, Chile, France, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Spain. Before the World War we had ambassadors also to and from Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary and Turkey. Ambassadors (see also Ministers): Elevation of missions of

Great Britain, France, Italy, and Germany to grade of, and like action of United States, 5874. Russia to grade of, and like action of United States, 6335. Official residences for, recommended, 6072, 6155.

Ambassadors, Conference of, attendance of United States representative upon, 8967. (See also Yap.)

Amelia Island.-A small island off the northeast coast of Florida, between the St. Mary's and Nassau rivers. During Spain's nominal occupation of Florida it became the rendezvous of pirates, smugglers, fugitive slaves and other outlaws. These not only preyed upon the commerce of friendly nations, but extended their operations inland, robbing and murdering American settlers in Georgia and Florida. General Matthews with a small force, in March, 1812, took possession of the country under a misinterpretation of his orders to protect American property in East Florida, and President Monroe promptly disavowed the act as unfriendly to Spain, with which country negotiations were at the time under way for cession. It was later occu

by

McGregor

pied by a band of adventurers organized General in Philadelphia. These set up an independent government and claimed recognition by the United States and other powers. They entered upon a career of privateering and smuggling, and were finally suppressed by the United States forces. The island came into possession of the United States with the cession of Florida. The island and its inhabitants were a source of serious annoyance to Monroe, and formed the subject of several communications to Congress. Amelia Island:

Colonial governments not responsible
for unlawful conduct of persons in,
601.

Governor Mitchell ordered to restore,
to the Spanish, 493.
Possession of-

Inquired into, 620.

Taken by Gen. Matthews, 492. Unlawful expeditions to, discussed, 582, 590, 592, 601, 609, 620. Amendments.-One of the chief defects of the original Articles of Confederation was that they could only be amended by the unanimous consent of the thirteen States. Three needful changes having failed of ratification, a convention was called in 1787

to consider amendments. The result of the deliberations of this convention is the pres ent Constitution, which provides for amendments in the following words: "The Congress, whenever two-thirds of Houses shall deem it necessary, shall proboth pose amendments to this Constitution, or, on the application of the legislatures of two-thirds of the several States, shall call a convention for proposing amendments, which in either case shall be valid, to all intents and purposes, as part of this Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States or by conventions in three-fourths thereof, as the one or the other mode of ratification may be proposed by the Congress; provided," (Art. V. 25.)

etc.

Many amendments to the Constitution have been proposed, but by 1922 only 19 had been ratified. They relate to (1) freedom of speech, the press, and religion; (2) right to establish State militia; (3) quartering of troops in private houses; (4) security against unreasonable search and seizure; (5) capital crime; (6) criminal prosecutions; (7) trial by jury under common law; (8) forbidding excessive bail or fines and cruel and unusual punishment; (9) relation of constitutional to natural rights; (10) powers reserved to the States; (11) suits of non-residents against States In Federal courts; (12) election of President and Vice-President; (13) slavery; (14 and 15) abridgment of the franchise, etc., by States; (16) taxes on incomes; (17) election of United States senators by popu lar vote; (18) prohibition; (19) equal suffrage.

The first ten of these amendments were submitted to the several State legislatures by a resolution of Congress which passed on Sept. 25, 1789, at the first session of the First Congress, and were ratified by a sufficient number of States on or before Dec. 15, 1791. The eleventh amendment was declared adopted Jan. 8, 1798; the twelfth Sept. 25, 1804; the thirteenth, Dec. 1865; the fourteenth, July 28, 1868; the fifteenth March 30, 1870; the sixteenth. Feb. 25, 1913; the seventeenth, May 31, 1913; the eighteenth, January 19, 1919; the nineteenth, August 26, 1920.

18.

The text of the amendments will be found under the Constitution, in Volume I. Amendments, Constitutional.

(For references, see Constitution, Amendments to.)

America.-The entire Western Continent or grand division of the world, including North, Central, and South America and the adjacent islands. It was named in honor of Amerigo Vespucci, an early explorer, whose accounts of the country received wide publicity. It was visited by Norse navigators as early as about 1000 A. D., and there are myths of Chinese and Irish discoveries, but it was not until after its discovery by Columbus in 1492 that it became generally known to Europeans. In a treatise on the new country published in 1507, called Cosmographleæ Introductio. by Waldseemüller, a teacher of geography in the college of St. Die in the Vosges, the name of American WAS proposed. (See North America and South America.) America, Four Hundredth Anniversary of Discovery of:

Celebration of. (See Madrid, Spain;
World's Columbian Exposition.)
Observance of, enjoined by proclama-
tion, 5724.

ments in territorial possessions of the
United States and in foreign countries.

Eligibility. Any person shall be eligible
for membership in The American Legion
who was regularly enlisted, drafted, in-
ducted or commissioned, and who served
on active duty, in the Army, Navy or Ma-
rine Corps of the United States at some
time during the period between April 6,
1917, and November 11, 1918, both dates
inclusive, or who, being a citizen of the
United States, at the time of his entry
therein, served on active duty in the Naval,
Military or Air Forces of any of the Gov-
ernments associated with the United States
during the Great War; provided, that no
person shall be entitled to membership (a)
who, being in the Army, Navy or Marine
Corps of the United States during said
period, refused on conscientious, political,
or other grounds, to subject himself to
military discipline or unqualified service, or
(b) who, being in such service, was sep-
arated therefrom under circumstances
amounting to dishonorable discharge and
has not subsequently been officially restored
to an honorable status.

There shall be no form or class of mem-
bership except an active membership
hereinabove provided.

as

Organization. The legislative body of
the Legion shall be the National Conven-
tion to be held annually at a time and
place to be fixed by the preceding National
Convention.

In the National Convention each Depart-
ment shall be entitled to five delegates and
one additional delegate for each thousand
members whose current dues have been re-
ceived by the National Treasurer thirty
days prior to the meeting of said Conven-
tion; and one alternate for each delegate.
The delegates shall be chosen at Depart-
ment Conventions to be held not less than
two weeks before the National Convention.
Each delegate shall be entitled to one
vote.

The American Legion was incorporated
by Congress on September 16, 1919.
1920, the membership was some 1.400,000,
By
with 6,561 posts. New York had the great-
est number of posts, 777, and nine other
states had more than 200 posts each. There
were four posts in Alaska, five in Hawaii,
one in Cuba, one in Panama, one in Mex-
ico, one in the Philippine Islands, one in
France, one in England and one in Canada.
Americanism, defined by President-
Roosevelt, 6915.
Wilson, 8222.

Americanization, training for, urged,

194.

American National Red Cross. (See
Red Cross, American National.)
American Party.-From the beginning of
the government, movements against aliens
have been common. In New York City, a
center of foreign population, this subject
had, from time to time, been agitated, and
after a period of success in 1844, it had
again sunk out of view. About 1852, when
the Whig Party was breaking asunder, a
secret, oath-bound organization, said to have
been called "The Sons of '76." or "The Or-
der of the Star-Spangled Banner,"
formed. Those of its members that had
not been admitted to the higher degrees
were kept in ignorance of the aims and
name of the organization, and their constant
answer of "I don't know" to questions re-

was

garding the society gave them the title of
"Know-Nothings." All meetings of the par-
ty were secret. It carefully avoided the
subject of slavery, and attempted to draw
the voters that were tired of agitation on
that subject by confining itself to vigorous
opposition to Catholics and aliens. Its prin-
ciple was "Americans must rule America.'

The first national convention of the party
met in February, 1856. It favored more
stringent naturalization laws; opposed for
eign immigration suffrage and office-holding
by foreign-born citizens; opposed the with-
drawal of the Bible from the public schools.
Millard Fillmore, of New York, was nomi-
nated for President and Andrew Jackson
Donelson for Vice-President. These nomi-
nations were endorsed by a Whig conven-
tion in September. Fillmore carried but
one state, Maryland, while his total popu-
lar vote was about 850,000.

In 1860 Presidential candidates were
again nominated, but under another name.
(See Constitutional Union Party.) After
Fillmore's defeat, the party in 1857 carried
the State elections in Rhode Island and
Maryland, and in 1859 it was still represent-
ed by a few members in Congress. (See
Anti-Masonic Party.)

The second party of this name was found
ed on opposition to secret societies, unlike
the first, which had itself been such a so
ciety. The name was adopted by the mem-
bers of the National Christian Association
when that body began in politics. Its plat-
form demanded prohibition of the sale of
liquor, recognition of the Sabbath, the with-
drawal of the charters of secret societies
and legislative prohibition of their oaths, ar-
bitration of international disputes, the in-
troduction of the Bible into schools, the
restriction of land monopolies, resumption
of specie payments, justice to the Indians
and a direct popular vote for President and
Vice-President. James B. Walker, of Illi-
nois, was nominated for President and
D. Kirkpatrick for Vice-President. In 1880
nominations were again made; in 1884 the
nominee, S. C. Pomeroy, withdrew in favor
of St. John, the Prohibition candidate, on
his assurance that he "stood on every plank
of the American platform."

the

a

A third American party was organized by
a convention held in Philadelphia, Sept.
16-17, 1867. Its platform declares
"present system of immigration and natu-
ralization of foreigners detrimental to the
welfare of the United States: demands
amendment of the naturalization laws so
as to make fourteen years' residence
prerequisite to citizenship; excludes from
citizenship all anarchists, socialists, and
other dangerous characters; condemns allen
proprietorship in land: grants of land to
corporations; reasserts American principles
of absolute freedom of religious worship
and belief and the permanent separation
of Church and State and declares in favor
of the enforcement of the Monroe Doctrine.
American Patriotism, Chair of. (See

Chair of American Patriotism.)
American Peace Society.-One of the
oldest organizations in the United States
for the promotion of international peace.
It was organized in New York City, on
May 8, 1828, being formed by the merger
of many state and local societies, of which
the oldest, the New York, dated back to
1815. The organization did not take a
pacifist position in the struggle of the
United States against the Central Powers,
but supported the prosecution of the war.
American Protective Association.-While
disclaiming to be a political party, this

Ended, 8805.

American Registry, foreign-built ships admitted to, 8006.

Law for, suspended, 8354.

American Relief

Administration for

European food relief, 8690. American Republics:

Arbitration by United States among, 7771, 7789.

Attitude of United States toward, discussed by President

Roosevelt, 6923.

Taft, 7786.

Wilson, 8103.

Conference of, 7057.

Conventions with, forArbitration

7982.

of pecuniary claims,

Protection of patents, 7984. Cooperation for national defence, 8104.

International Union of, proposed building for, 6824.

Mutual understanding among, 8071. Sanitary convention of, report of, 6737, 6823.

American Republics, Bureau of the International Union of. (See also PanAmerican Union, International American Conference.)

American Republics, Bureau of:
Buildings of, 6824.

Bulletins of, transmitted, 5678, 5785. Collection by governments of debts due their citizens, from other countries, by force of arms, referred to The Hague Tribunal by, 7061. Conference at Rio Janeiro, visited by Secretary of State Root, 7058. Discussed, 6338, 6349, 6381, 6436. Report of, transmitted, 5647, 5769, 5907, 6001, 6099, 6183, 6349. Work of, discussed, 7125, 7231. American Rights Committee. (See Preparedness Societies.)

American Seamen. (See Seamen, American.)

American Society of Mechanical Engineers, memorial of, relating to Ericsson transmitted, 5565.

1

American Sugar Refining Company, beneficiary of customs frauds, 7426. American System.-In his annual message, December, 1848, President Polk discussed what its authors and advocates called the "American system" (2504). He insisted that this so-called system was founded on a departure from the earliest policy of the Government; that it depended on an enlargement of the powers of the Federal Government by construction and was not warranted by a just interpretation of the Constitution. One branch of the new system, it was claimed, was the establishment of a large national bank. The next branch was a high protective tariff, levied not to raise the revenue needed, but for protection merely; the next Was a scheme of internal improvements, and finalcomprehensive ly a plan for the distribution of the proceeds of the sales of the public lands among the States. But the term "American system, as most generally understood, is used to denote the policy of protection to home industries by means of high duties on imports. The term was probably first used by Henry Clay in the debates which preceded the enactment of the tariff law of 1824, when he called his plan of protective duties and internal improvements the "American system."'

American Union Against Militarism. (See Peace Societies.)

American Wood Preserving Co., purchase

of machinery from, referred to, 4676. Amistad Case.-The case of the United States against the Spanish vessel, Amistad. A cargo of kidnapped Africans who had been landed near Havana, Cuba, by a Portuguese slaver, was shortly afterwards placed aboard the Spanish vessel Amistad for shipment to Puerto Principe. On the voyage the negroes took possession of the vessel and ordered the crew to return to Africa; but the sailors brought her into American waters, where, off the coast of Long Island; she was captured by a United States war vessel and carried into New London, Conn., Aug. 29, 1839. On a libel for salvage the Supreme Court of the United States held on appeal that the negroes, having been kidnapped from a foreign country, were free men, and could not be bound by treaties with Spain.

Amistad, The:

Appropriations for claimants in case of, recommended, 2401, 2742, 2977, 3042, 3092.

Claims arising out of, 2634, 2720. Negroes taken on board, referred to, 1856.

Reference to, 2128, 3172.

Release of, demanded by Spanish minister, 1805.

Amity. From the literal meaning. "friendship." the word is employed in international relations to indicate friendly understanding and co-operation; applied especially in connection with treaties, as a treaty of amity. or a treaty of amity and commerce. Ammonia Industry licensed, 8428. Ammunition. (See Arms and Ammunition.)

Amnesty.-An act of pardon for political offenses. The effect of it is that the crimes