Widow an Alien in Own Land

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 928, 22 March 1930, Page 5

Widow an Alien in Own Land

Here is the little tragi-comedy of a ; British widow and a changed house number. fn 1901 an English girl married a young man who, to all intents and purposes, was an Englishman, but who, when the Derby Scheme came along in the war, was found to be an ! American-born citizen. So he and his wife had to register as aliens. They always lived in England, and ; after the husband’s death some years ; ago it did not occur to the widow that I she was still classed as an alien. This most British of British • women was annoyed from time to j time, as, for instance, when she ! moved three doors away from her previous residence and was lined for : not registering her change of adi dress as an alien. But worse was to come. One morn- , ! ing a policeman arrived at the door. “Why haven't you registered your change of address?” he said. “But I haven't moved this time,’ - | said the householder. “J’m still in i my own house —the house I’ve lived | in for years.” i “But the number has been changed, j and if you don’t register your removal | | as an alien you will be lined,” said i the constable. j “I didn't change the numbers of the j | houses,” persisted the householder 1 with true British courage. “The i j council did that.” I “That doesn’t matter,” replied the ! constable. “A change of number is j ; I equal to a change of address, although j ; i you may not have moved an inch in : the last twenty years.” • | Tired of all this registration : . I palaver, the widow made inquiries 1 ; and discovered that for a fee of 5s j : i she could get a certificate of natural- j ) isation, to which must be added 10s : for commissioners’ fees, making in all | > ! the very modest sum of 15s, which j - | would relieve her for ever of the j ! bother of being an “alien -subject.” , ! This certificate must be applied for | _! by way of a memorial addressed to I vet ary of State. Memorial j and declaration forms are sold by the ; j boiicitors’ Law Stationery Office. ! British-born widows of alien sub--5 jects and British women who have i had their marriages with foreigners , dissolved should take advantage of 3 this simple procedure of reverting to their own nationality.