The Washington times., 1902-08-24
LESS ANNOYANCE
FOR TITLED VISITORS
New Form of Information
for EN- grafton Bureau.
Blanks Furnished Steamship Officers
for Benefit of New York
Officials.

When the next titled foreigner visits
the United States. coming on one of the
regular liners, he will not be annoyed
by the immigration officers with such
questions as:
Are you suffering from any con-
tagious or infectious disease?" or,
Have you ever been in jail. my lord -
The officials are impressed with the
essential righteousness Of some of the
queries put to first and second-cabin
passengers during the last few weeks
under the rules and regulations enforced
by the immigration authorities at New
York. and reform is proposed.
William Williams. commissioner OF
immigration II New York. has written a
circular letter which ii is proposed to
send to the agents of all the steamship
lines entering that port This letter is
now in the hands of Commissioner Cen
eral Frank p Sargent, and will be sub
mitted to Secretary Shaw as soon as he
returns to Washington from his trip to
New England. It consists of permanent
instructions describing what the officers
of the ocean liners are expected to do
In the way Of filling out the blank forms
furnished by the immigration Bureau.
OF questions. the answers to which are
supposed 10 determine the fitness Of the
passenger, if not a citizen of the United
States, to land.
Reasonable Degree of Tact.
It is hoped iha. a careful observance
OF the terms of this circular letter Will
enable steamship officers and employees
1,I. - a,
and discretion in requiring passengers
to answer the questions. Ii Is recog-
nized that many of these questions are
calculated to annoy, not TO say insult
and enrage. sensitive foreigners whose
station il life is such as to absolve
them frcm suspicion of wishing to steal
into the United States in violation of
law
The officials of the Treasury Depart
ment insist that these questions are
necessary under the law. and they are
not willing to say the Ian is wrong.
But they do admit that the statute
does not require that the questions
be put to each passenger in the form OF
rigid catechism.
The immigration officials say that all
they care is that truthful answers shall
be written in reply to the printed ques-
tiOns furnished to the oincerS OF the
| ans-Atlantic liners The bureau does
not care how the information TO supply
these truthful answers is obtained.
Reduce Natural Annoyance.
Commissioner General Sargent said
yesterday:
Il am OF the opinion that We can and
ought 10 do something TO reduce ;he
natural annoyance that results from
asking these questions of first and sec
ond class cabin passengers. do not be-
| lieve that the law should be amended
for the law is right. But certainly the
officers. whose duty 1t is to return our
blank forms of questions completely
| filled out, should exercise the greatest
| possible amount of common sense and
tact. ! think the letters it is proposed
to send TO steamship companies will rez
| lteve The situation materially"
Tine Treasury officials believe that the
fcommon sense would dictate for cx-
ample, that the question::
Have you ever been in jail?" might
\ in the event. say Of a visit OF Lord
Chamberlain. or Earl Roberts. or other
well known personages, be omitted in the
verbal catechism, the inspector himself
filling out the blank space after the
question.