It is this imprescriptible feature of Swiss communal citizenship, so deeply embedded in the public sentiment of the country and engrafted in the organic law, that has stubbornly blocked the way to all efforts, on the part of the United States, to negotiate with that country a naturalization treaty. Such treaties of reciprocal naturalization exist between the United States and all the European nations, except the two absolute monarchies of Russia and Turkey, whereby it is stipulated that domicile of certain duration and naturalization shall be recognized by both parties as terminating the previous relation. To repeated invitations from the United States to Switzerland looking to the conclusion of a similar treaty, the same answer always came from the Federal Council,--“The conception of the imprescriptibility of the Swiss citizenship, closely interwoven as it is with the views of the Swiss people, and recognized by various cantonal constitutions as a fundamental right, would make it impossible for Switzerland to conclude a treaty, whereby a citizen, after a longer or shorter absence, would lose his Swiss nationality.” In fact, to accede to this request, it would be necessary to obtain an amendment to the Swiss constitution, asserting federal control over the question. At present there is no Swiss citizenship except as it is derived from the Canton and Commune; and the Confederation is powerless to deal internationally with it. The Swiss contention that a Swiss who becomes a citizen of any other country, without specific exemption under the law, is held to the obligations of Swiss citizenship, does not distinctly embrace the doctrine of return and domicile _animo manendi_ in Switzerland. The Swiss Federal Tribunal has even asserted jurisdictional powers with respect to Swiss naturalized and resident in a foreign country.