European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 06, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse I renounced my u. A citizenship continued from Page 5. Thin Tong. I have mostly been influenced by people talking to people. Circum stances have also played their part repeat again i believe the fact that Iam a wanderer at heart and could get settled nowhere for Long probably comes from the feeling of insecurity childhood bred . Some writers have had a consider Able influence on me in their own ways but these have been fairly modern thinkers. I think particularly of Wal Whitman Thomas Mann and especially Robert Briffault the author of rational evolution the mothers eur. Ropa and others. After i left Harvard i was called for my army physical i was Clas Sinfie d 1 b. This meant i within six or eight months for limited service. I was very anxious Roget abroad As soon As possible so i asked. For deferment to join the Field service and this was granted. I went Over almost immediately and served abroad for two years. " first i went to India and Burma and then to Italy. Life was pretty Burma in those Days but i cannot say we a d it to rough in Italy. In late 1945 i went Home and went to work for lever Brothers the soap manufacturers for about six months. But i was anxious to see More of Europe so a Job As a. Driver with the american Aid to Europe signing a one year contract. I arrived in France in july 1946, and spent the next month there helping in the _ emergency re Moval of people from bombed out area sin Normandy and Brittany into new Homes % during my year in France i began thinking Over Many things. I did no tread much philosophy but i was Puz led with problems of philosophy and of world events. One of the chief things which Dave Ped upon me was How Little knew and How much i wanted to 3 in. Another problem which worried. Me was the forthcoming conflict which i am sure must take place Between the United states and Russia. I wanted to study More about these things but by personal observation. Wanted to be in a position to become an observer of world events of Thi Climax of nationalism without taking part in them myself since participation would mean a tacit approval of the that i realized i should have to be free of political religious or another form of allegiance to any one state. For some time i continued to think very deeply As to the Best Way in which i could achieve this. Gradually, this idea of renouncing my Amer ican citizenship not Only renouncing my . Citizenship but renouncing All other citizenship to become stateless in other words a True citizen of the universe. I have thought for a Long time that the be United under on world government. Now it seemed to me that the Only Way in which we could work towards that Ideal would be for people to do something practical about it striving of their own Accord to abolish barriers. Still i did not quite see How it could be done at first and it was some time before i arrived at my final decision. But once i had made up my mind Idrew up the first draft of a thousand. Word document which expressed my feelings. In it i formally renounced my citizenship and without reservation All claims privileges and Protection issuing therefrom. One clause added that this was in no Way connected with any thing i had done in the United states of which i might be seeking to escape 1 the Legal consequences. I worked on my. Document for a longtime but eventually the final draft was ready. I had copies mimeographed and took it to the american embassy in Paris where i showed it to the Consul mrs. Agnes Schneider in june 1947. " there. I filled the various forms and signed the documents for formal renunciation these included one in which i undertook not to re enter the unite states for a minimum of five years. I had not made any such definite plans when i first Drew up my own Doc ,-because.i certainly want to go Back to America some time in the fun. Ture for a visit but i thought it unlikely tha t i should want to go within the next five years so i signed this undertaking. On june. 24th, 1947, i was Given a letter from mrs. Schneider acknowledging my action. Armed with this letter i next went to the French Security of police where i explained what i had done and handed Over my carte d de Rifee. This. Was withdrawn and instead i was is sued a new carte for stateless persons permitting Nie to reside for asked for a labor permit but this was refused. Since i was i not Able to work in France the next problem was where should go. I had Felt for some time that Germany would be a Good place in which to watch world develop ments. It was very badly destroyed and would also give me an Opportunity of doing some highly useful productive work. Also i had never been to Ger Many and Felt it would teach me some thing about. A new culture a new people and a new having settled on Germany i still had to decide what part of Ger Many i would go to. This Choice called for three very specific conditions. Under my plan. The chief necessity Wasto find a place Between the two great struggling Powers today communism and capitalism in order to study the mentality of a third nation which would not be in either Camp but caught be tween the conflict on either Side. It seemed to me that the reactions of mentality would Best be studied under that aspect at Kassel near theline Between the russian and american zones. The second condition was that i wanted to be in a Central part 6f Ger Many where the Best idea would be gained of German culture and traditions which again made Kassel a Desir Able place. finally in order to be of inst use in my. Productive work i wanted to choose what would be at once an Urban and a highly destroyed area and Kassel fitted in with both these requirements j for two weeks without any Success to get the permission to enter Germany legally. After failing i decided simply to Cross the Border As bests could alone. � in Paris i had made friends with polish expatriate who could not return to Germany and he gave me Marks which he had in his posses Sion. I thought Cigar ets useful to me to barter or gain Confidence with when i. First arrived and Sot took a few packages of these along. As a matter of fact i lost them on the trip crossing a Stream. I also took along a Large army surplus ski trooper s Rucic a sack into which i had packed a suit it sports jacket underwear shirts socks and other Odds and ends of clothing. It was a pretty miscellaneous bundle some of the stuff american some French some Swiss and some i equipment. I entered the French zone from the Moselle sector but was picked up at Kroppen near Pir Masens. I was imprisoned at Sermersheim. From the time i left Paris until my release from jail my weight dropped from 190 to 175 i have never regained that on the German diet Here. " �. We ate almost nothing in prison ersatz cd fee for breakfast two soups one very thin for dinner and the same soups with about a third of a Pound of bread for supper. After i. Had been imprison Nineteen Days the French zone commissioner at Neustadt gave me. An order of expulsion and i was conducted As far As guard sin Mannheim accepted the expulsion order and let me enter the . the re i made my Way to Kassel i had already decided that the Best work for me would be something inthe building Trade. I intended that what Ever work i did it should be manuals Well As productive in order to leave my mind free to Thlik. I used to want to write arid i am still planning j to write about my ideas some. Time. The Beltway to prepare for this it seemed a to concentrate on heavy which while keeping my hands Busy wou3 leave me time to think. T -. In october 1947, i applied for a Job with the Straube baufirma., a private building concern in Kassel the firm was then engaged Fri repairing the Dia Tonissen hairs a lutheran Hospital where i have worked Ever since. I sex j planned my position to them and after a lengthy talk they agreed to take me on. They had me billeted in the hos. Jpilar and on the strength of my Resi dec e there i was Able to draw a ration card and a temporary residence permit Good for one year from local author cities. " i eat my three meals a Day at the Hospital and share a room divided by continued on Page 2z bricklayer s apprentice Noel must do various manual labor jobs. Above he helps build a scaffolding. He is paid Only thirty three Marks per week. A Bench for a foundation Noel is now Able to understand orders int first Foreman had to direct his labor by use of sign language. I weekend March
