PUBLIC LAWS-OH. 876-OCT. 14, 1940 Applicability of ex- isting laws to prior crimes. Testimony of of- flcers, etc. Noncompliance by clerks of court; pen- alty. Ante, p. 1158. Failure to account for certificates. Ante, p. 1158 . Provisions appli- cable to record of registry. Ante, p. 1151. Ante, p. 1163. Saving clauses. Ante, p. 1140; post, p. 1171. Hearing of pending petition. Naturalization in foreign state. (h) For the purpose of the prosecution of all crimes and offenses against the naturalization or citizenship laws of the United States which may have been committed prior to the date when this Act shall go into effect, the existing naturalization and citizenship laws shall remain in full force and effect. (i) It shall be lawful and admissible as evidence in any proceedings founded under this Act, or any of the penal or criminal provisions of the immigration, naturalization or citizenship laws, for any officer or employee of the United States to render testimony as to any state- ment voluntarily made to such officer or employee in the course of the performance of the official duties of such officer or employee by any defendant at the time of or subsequent to the alleged commission of any crime or offense referred to in this section which may tend to show that such defendant did not or could not have had knowledge of any matter concerning which such defendant is shown to have made affidavit, or oath, or to have been a witness pursuant to such law or laws. (j) In case any clerk of court shall refuse or neglect to comply with any of the provisions of section 337 (a), (b), (c), or (d), such clerk of court shall forfeit and pay to the United States the sum of $25 in each and every case in which such violation or omission occurs, and the amount of such forfeiture may be recovered by the United States in an action of debt against such clerk. (k) If any clerk of court shall fail to return to the Service or properly account for any certificate of naturalization furnished by the Service as provided in subsection (e) of section 337, such clerk of court shall be liable to the United States in the sum of $50, to be recovered in an action of debt, for each and every such certificate not properly accounted for or returned. (1) The provisions of subsections (a), (b), (d), (g), (h), and (i) of this section shall apply in respect of the application for and the record of registry authorized by section 328, in the same man- ner and to the same extent, including penalties, as they apply in any naturalization or citizenship proceeding or any other proceeding under section 346. SAVINO CLAUSES SEC. 347. (a) Nothing contained in either chapter III or in chap- ter V of this Act, unless otherwise provided therein, shall be con- strued to affect the validity of any declaration of intention, petition for naturalization, certificate of naturalization or of citizenship, or other document or proceeding which shall be valid at the time this Act shall take effect; or to affect any prosecution, suit, action, or proceedings, civil or criminal, brought, or any act, thing, or mat- ter, civil or criminal, done or existing, at the time this Act shall take effect; but as to all such prosecutions, suits, actions, proceedings, acts, things, or matters, the statutes or parts of statutes repealed by this Act, are hereby continued in force and effect. (b) Any petition for naturalization heretofore filed which may be pending at the time this Act shall take effect shall be heard and determined within two years thereafter in accordance with the requirements of law in effect when such petition was filed. CHAPTER IV-LOSS OF NATIONALITY SEC. 401. A person who is a national of the United States, whether by birth or naturalization, shall lose his nationality by: (a) Obtaining naturalization in a foreign state, either upon his own application or through the naturalization of a parent having legal [54 STAT.
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