European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 28, 1977, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 8 the stars and stripes saturday May 28, 1977 american jailed As a draft dodger trip to France becomes Nightmare stories and photo by Leah Larkin staff writer hundreds of times they had gone on similar rulings a sunday evening drive across the Border to have dinner in  time they never got to enjoy the French wine and cuisine. For James Meyer the dinner excursion turned into a night of tear anger confusion terror the kind of nightmarish experience to scriptwriters often  27-year-old Engineer was stopped at the Border apprehended by the Border patrol and hauled off to jail by the French police. Me said he was told he had no right to speak no right to an attorney no right to make a phone Call. He was threatened with physical harm if he resisted he  said he was locked in a tiny cell Aith it a window Light sanitation facilities or heat and was Given no  was not smuggling narcotics across the Border not even american to or cigarettes lie was not driving a stolen automobile. He and his wife and Hill her had merely wanted to Dine in kiunct1.a criminal act hardly but Meyer was Ai eased of being a French draft dodger lie Learned the hard Way that even though was lion in Milwaukee. Wis., and had an american passport he was also a French citizen Meyer s father Lyle Meyer is Ameri can. His Mother. Lucienno Meyer is a naturalized american citizen. But she was bom in France and because franc allows dual citizenship. Mrs. Meyer is also a French citizen. And because of French Laws her children Are also considered French citizens no matter where they Are bom. No matter if they Are also citizens of another , male French citizens must serve in the French military. James Meyer had not even known he was French citizen much less that he had dodged the French draft. The police in formed Himi that he had been tried in a sentia in a military court and sentenced to four months in  police in the French Border town of  did not ship James Meyer off to prison in Marseille As they had said they would. After his father s numerous phone Calls to the american embassy in Paris Contact with a French lawyer and a hearing in Metz he was re  father agreed to produce documents showing that James had not lived in France Between the time he was 18 and 21 years old. The agis when he would have been subject to the draft this . Embassy officials in Paris had told him would by considered As reason for draft exempt , the younger Meyer a civil Ian Engineer working for the american any in Italy spent a night of horror in a French jail it s hard to believe that you can be plucked out of society and thrown into a pit without communication. To think they Haven t changed the code of jus Tice since  he said. At first. Meyer who Speaks fluent French said he considered the whole thing a joke. He had crossed the Border Many times before without problems this time. Die guards were puzzled by his License plate White plates assigned to american military and government employees in Italy. That he feels is Why they ran his passport through the computer Check from 1959 to 1966, James Meyer did live in France. He attended French Sci tools. His father was then working in France As a department of the army  the data that came Back from the computer Check was Correct his name his parents names Etc. Meyer knew he was involved in something serious. I realized they considered me a French nation  when they led him to the Small cell and shut the heavy Iron door leaving him in the Damp dark world i thought i was done in he  that night he heard his parents banging on the outside door to the jail building. Hope was restored even though his parents were not allowed in the jail to Sec him until the next  them and for James brother Robert the experience was almost As har rowing. After Robert realized his brother was in trouble he ran Back across the Border into Germany to Call his parents who live in Worms Lyle Meyer immediately called the american embassy in Paris. The embassy people were extremely helpful and understanding he said Assur ing him the matter would be straightened out and James would to released. Nevertheless it was late at night his son was in jail and he and his wife were worried. They set out to find James and were quite upset when they were refused entry to the jail. Monday morning they were Able to see their son and talk to the French police. By this time the embassy had intervened. James was taken to Metz for a military hearing. Documents showing that he did not reside in France Between the Lime he was 18 and 21 would to necessary to Clear the Mailer. Even though Lyle Meyer did not have these documents with him the French agreed to release James relying on his father s word that he would be Abuelo produce the necessary papers. The Meyers Are very upset about the incident. I m very very angry. Idon t see How this could happen in 1977, mrs. Meyer  Meyer and his sons remain baffled about the Way James was treated. What ii Robert who was Able to make the phone Call Lead not been with his brother would James have been sent to prison in mar Seille without being Able to inform anyone they wonder. James Meyer Rigoll and his brother Robert discuss the paper that exempts James from serving in the French military. Cases like Meyer s Are becoming More frequent army lawyer says is James Meyer s frightening experience at the French Border unusual Are there other americans who May be French even considered draft dodgers without knowing it there arc a lot with this status. I m not sure if they know about it or not said capt. Daniel Taylor chief of the Legal Sec Tion. . Defense attache office Al the american embassy in Paris Taylor said thai within the last year he knows of four cases similar to Meyer s cases involving americans accused by the French of draft dodging it s becoming More and More frequent he  explained the situation from a Legal standpoint because France allows dual citizenship. French people Are consid ered French even when they become a Citi zen of another country that is. Unless the specifically renounce their French citizen ship. If a French person has children who Are bom in another country the children Are considered French. This is no different from an american having children in Ger Many for example. Taylor pointed out the children Are considered to be american i citizens. And. Since France has a draft system male French citizens must Register for the draft when they Are 18 just As they used to be required to do in the us. Before the draft was abolished those who do not Register Are consid ered draft dodgers and subject to disciplinary action. Ignorance of the Law is no excuse Taylor said. He said if a Young american failed to Register for the draft simply be cause he was not living in the ., he would have been in trouble during the tune when registration was required. Taylor it cos the French have been extremely cooperative in situations such As dial involving James Meyer. They have agreed to exempt from the draft those who were living in the . Between the Ages of 18 and 21, or in a foreign country other than France where a Parent was serving the . Government he said. "1 think that s a very generous interpretation of the Law Taylor said. The French realize the problems dual citizen ship creates. Yet they have problems with draft dodgers. As soon As they realize the Case involves an american with a military family we re Home free they have been very very  Taylor suggests americans who May have citizenship circumstances similar to James Meyers write to him at the Ameri can embassy in Paris. Apo 09777. We can Tell them the formal for making an affidavit which will get them an exemption in said