So he's got a defense...
I know this is not 1912 and I may not every particular but read this. My great grandparents married and went to Canada to live. Grandpa had lived there about 5 years after being born and raised in the USa. They had a male child while there. After 1 year they came back to the USA. They filled out alien cards the remainder of their lives and my great uncle was not able to serve in WW2 because he was classified a Canadian citizen.