The St. Louis Republic., 1903-01-04
IMMIGRATION FIGURES RISING:
GENERAL STANDARD DECLINING.
Government Agents tstounded by the Wave terate Criminal
Insane, Weak Minded and Diseased Humanity Sweeping
Into the Country-5eliev ed Conspiracy Exists o
Flood America With Pauper Population
of Europe.
REPUBLIC SPECIAL.

REPUBLIC SPECIAL.
New York. Jan. S.-os the 400 immi.
grants arriving in the port last Tuesday or
the Belgravia of the Hamburg American
Line. 25s appeared in the ships manifest
with addresses in New York City. to which
made by immigration inspectors proves tha,
50 per cent of the New York addresses are
fictitious.
There are good grounds for believing that
the false addresses were furnished by men
who are in a conspiracy to food America
with the pauper population of Europe.
immigration figures are rising In a SEN
sationai manner. and, in spite of the ear
nest efforts of Commissioner Williams te
exclude the most undesirable OF the for
eigners who arrive here, a wave of illt-
crate. criminal. pauperized, insane. weak
minded and diseased humanity is sweeping
into the country.
In addition, an organized effort is being
made to hinder Mr.. Williams in his efforts
to dam the food. Race prejudice is being
aroused. and Washington is being besieged
by those who make money out OF the ar
riving immigrants.
In the meantime agents who receive a
commission for selling tickets for steam
ship lines are said to be securing Europe,
accepting the most undesirable as future
citizens Of the United States, II being only
provided that SIS can be raised to pay the
steerage passage to New York.
The fact that a bill is now before Con-
gress to make immigration laws much more
stringent is being taken advantage Of by
the foreign agents. who have spread the
report, go to America now, or your op-
portunity will be lost"
Other phases Of immigration are occupy
ing the attention of the authorities at Ellis
Island as well as those at Washington. Girls
are being enticed to this country. the con-
tract-labor laws are being defeated by a
trickery. and honest immigrants are being
robbed by persons appearing in the guise
of Sar1aritans.
After having enforced the immigration
laws more strictly than had ever been done
before. and having still displayed what ho
feared might be mistaken liberality, Mr..
Williams became conscious Of the fact that
he had aroused the opposition OF powerful
interests. To satisfy himself as to the real
conditions, the Commissioner decided to
make an investigation in connection with
the arrival of a steamship with a large
number Of steerage passengers aboard.
ON THE BELGRATIA.
1t happened that the ship to be subjected
to this test was the Ee!gravia. When the
Belgravia arrived. the ordinary processes
were gone through with. and later the
Commissioner started his investigation. 1t
happened that 1S2 of the immigrants giving
New York addresses were detained for spe-
cial inquiry. Seventy-four giving New York
addresses were permitted to enter without
question Then inspectors investigated. find
ing that forty-two had given false addresses.
These forty-two. who II is fair to suppose
had their own reasons for wishing their
true identity to be hidden, had scattered.
In the detention room at Ellis Island yes
terday were many of the immigrants who
had come on the Belgravia. They are to
be deported and will be returned to their
homes in Europe worse off than they were
before they met the agent who persuaded
them to pay for a passage to America.
Among those who were dolefully awaiting
return was Jacob Dubrodud. As years old
and broken under the weight Of his hard
life.
He Is a Russian, and through an inter
prefer told this story:
II am a tlnsmith and in Russia was able
to earn barely enough to keep my family
alive. was persuaded to come to Amer
lea by a man who told me that here I could
find plenty OF work and good pay.