I was very surprised a few years ago to learn that my architect first cousin twice removed,
- during World War II. I requested a copy of this file from the National Archives on September 29, 2015, paid $36 for the 45-page copy, and received a PDF via e-mail three days later.
So what is an A-File? From the National Archives website:
The Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) began issuing aliens an Alien Registration number in 1940, and on April 1, 1944, began using this number to create individual case files, called Alien Files or A-Files.
A-Files contain all records of any active case of an alien not yet naturalized as they passed through the United States immigration and inspection process. An A-File might also be created without any action taken by the alien, for example if INS initiated a law enforcement action against or involving the alien.
Despite submitting a declaration of intent to become a citizen in December 1920, and serving in the United States Army from then through July 1922, Ewald did not submit a petition for naturalization within the required seven year time frame. He later (November 1942) stated that he thought he acquired citizenship through his military service, and only learned he was still an alien when he applied for membership with the American Legion. He did submit another declaration of intent on October 28, 1936. He *could* have filed another petition three years later, but for some reason he did not - and then the
Alien Registration (Smith) Act took effect on June 28, 1940.
Above: Ewald T. Pape's fingerprint and photo from his March 14, 1942 Application for Certificate of Identification (Aliens of Enemy Nationalities) Form AR-AE-22
From: Records scanned at the National Archives at Kansas City
Record Group 566, Records of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
Department of Justice. Immigration and Naturalization Service.
Alien Case Files, 1944-2003
Alien Case File A2474506 for Ewald Pape
National Archives Identifier: 7147174
Here's what happened to Ewald, based on information in his A-File and other sources:
October 1, 1940: Ewald completes the required
Alien Registration Form AR-2.
August 6, 1941: Ewald's petition for naturalization is filed.
January 27, 1942: Warrant of arrest issued by Attorney General of the United States, Francis Biddle - less than two months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the United States' entry into World War II in Europe and the Pacific.
January 28, 1942: Ewald is apprehended by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and received by the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS, now U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, or USCIS) in Portland, Oregon, because "he had in his home certain articles which he was prohibited from having under the regulations pertaining to alien enemies." Prohibited items included all firearms, short-wave radios, cameras, knives, and “signaling devices” such as flashlights.
According to an April 24, 1944 interview with his wife Alma, she "always felt she was to blame for her husband having been interned because she said he had suggested turning in the short wave radio set in order to comply with the enemy alien regulations, but she believed, being an American citizen herself, she could keep the set in the home, and not realizing the fact that her husband would be blamed."
February 14, 1942: Appeared before Alien Enemy Hearing Board, which recommended that he be immediately paroled.
February 18, 1942: Became "desperately ill" and moved from the local immigration detention station to the [
Robert C.]
Coffey Memorial Hospital in Portland, for an operation for a perforating ulcer in his stomach. (His April 27, 1942, draft registration card indicated that he had an operation on his right side at the waist.) He spent the next 60 days at home recuperating, and never reopened his [architectural] office in the Sherlock Building (SW 3rd at Oak), according to his April 3, 1943 interview.
March 4, 1942: Attorney General concurs in the recommendation for parole.
March 14, 1942: Parole takes effect, at 10:30 a.m., immediately after his release from the hospital. C. D. Warrington is his sponsor. He's required to report twice a month to his sponsor, and on the first of each month to his INS parole officer. He also completes an Application for Certificate of Identification (Aliens of Enemy Nationalities) Form AR-AE-22 on this date, from which the above photograph and fingerprint image are taken.
April 27, 1942:
Registers for the draft.
June 1942: Employed by the Portland Door Company, 4701 SE 24th Avenue, "in charge of the architectural work and as a supervisor for the company at different places where defense houses are being constructed in this city of material furnished contractors by said company. At the present time this company is furnishing material to a contractor who is building 360
[housing] units in the Guild's Lake District in Northwest Portland. Mr. Pape observes the construction of the houses by the contractors and suggests changes and also sees to it that the required material is delivered to the site in proper order."
Guild's Lake Courts was a
project of the
Housing Authority of Portland, to combat a housing shortage for shipbuilders and other wartime industry workers.
June 24, 1942: John S. Fisher is named sponsor, as Warrington is now in the Coast Guard.
March 11 through April 3, 1943: Interviews of three neighbors, sponsor, and Ewald; report of investigations "relating to the conduct and activities of the above-named alien enemy parolee" submitted, recommending continuation of parole "under the terms of the present agreement."
March 18, 1943: Ewald's petition for naturalization is "continued until end of war."
November 16-17, 1943: Interviews of four neighbors, sponsor, and Ewald; report submitted recommending continuation of parole.
Ewald states that he "is in charge of the architectural work....in connection with defense housing," and "that if it were not for his present status he could be doing other important work which would pay a great deal more than he is receiving at the present time." He also "indicated that his parole has been a frequent source of worry to him inasmuch as he and his wife are conscious of the fact that their neighbors and friends are aware of his situation and that at times it has hampered his work."
April 20-27, 1944: Interviews of sponsor, three neighbors, co-worker, employer, Alma, and Ewald; report submitted recommending continuation of parole.
April 28, 1944: Zenon C. R. Hansen is named sponsor as Fisher is being called into military service.
August 1944: Joseph H. Page, a lawyer, becomes Ewald's sponsor.
November 8-29, 1944: Interviews of three neighbors, his sponsor, his employer, and Ewald; report submitted recommending release from parole.
His employer,
Leo Hanley, the owner of the Portland Door Company, says he has known Ewald "over a period of twenty years" and he "is a
sedulous individual, an expert in his line and a loyal employee...[who] drew the plans for the
Bailey bridge which was recently built by our service in France and is now drawing the plans for seventy five miles of bridge work to be used in Europe by the armed services.....[he] has been the architect for approximately 1500 defense housing units and is at present working on a design for post-war houses which they hope to ship in bundles to Africa, China, and Europe." Hanley added that if he "had any suspicion that subject [Ewald] was disloyal, he could not affort to employ him in his combustible business."
In his interview, Ewald presented a copy of his honorable discharge from the Army and a June 9, 1922 letter of recommendation from Major C. B. Hazeltine, who said "he has been a draftsman in my office and has done a great deal of inside drafting and outside topographical work. He is at the present time my chief draftsman and could remain as such, should he so desire....I have found this man at all times and under all circumstances, loyal, competent, and willing. I consider him a very good draftsman, and extremely neat and painstaking in his work."
The November 14, 1944 recommendation of V. W. Tomlinson, officer in charge, Portland, Oregon, stated "I am familiar with the high type of work he is performing in the furtherance of the war effort and I am convinced that he is not a potential danger to the internal security of the United States. Quite the contrary, he has contributed far more than the average to our war effort and this record will bear out that he has scarcely received a decent wage for his efforts." (Ewald had noted in his November 1944 interview that he worked 8-9 hours a day, six days a week, for $50 per week.)
The November 18, 1944 recommendation of E. F. Schwandt, Chief, Detention, Deportation & Parole Section, Seattle, Washington, stated that Ewald "has been employed since his parole in an industry which is vitally important to the war efforts of the United States. During this time he has had every opportunity to damage the war effort had he been so inclined, as even a slight deviation from established practices in preparing architectural plans would have resulted in serious delay in the completion of structures manufactured by his employers. Apparently nothing of the kind has occurred during his employment and the subject has conducted himself in a manner indicative of his loyalty and good will toward the well-being of this country."
May 2, 1945: Attorney General Biddle orders release from parole.
May 11, 1945: Released from parole - three days after
V-E Day, the end of World War II in Europe.
December 12, 1947: Ewald finally takes his oath of allegiance and becomes a United States citizen.
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