Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-03-30

pie and not at all dangerous in a violent
way, they are shrewd and keen to take ad-
immigration laws which would allow them
to bring over more of their own people
either for business or for personal reasons.
One Of the usual customs is for an Armen-
ian or Syrian to go to the United States.
become naturalized citizen and then send
back to his home for WIFE, Some of these
women are probably legal wives of the men
who send for Them but as a rule there Is
no proof Of marriage. and IT is known that
there are few of those who are brought out
that have in the first place been legally
given their alleged status The women state
under oath that they are going to join their
husbands, and as their husbands are Ameri-
can citizens, they, too. as wives have be-
come such and there Is no way under the
law of excluding them. If any attempt is
made to check their entrance, the husband
can send them a copy of his naturalization
papers. and the alleged wife can secure
upon those papers a passport from the
American embassy at Paris, and with this
and the statement that she is going to join
upon which she can be excluded, no matter
how undesirable she may be, or what her
physical condition is
Another scheme for evading the law
these bland. peaceful and childlike races is
to secure from the United States the orfei-
nal or a certified copy Of the naturaliza-
ton papers of some friend or relative and
use tLCifi " ODldin pdSSDOrC, the
ground that this naturalization was their
own There Is no possible check upon this
abuse at this end Of the Journey. for a nat
uraiization paper carries on it's face no
If the intending immigrant is we'll coached
or Is sufficiently shrewd himself to an
swer the categorical questions of the
American consul or shipping agents there
Is no trouble In his securing the papers
which will pass him through Ellis Island
without difficulty.
Supervision Was Relaxed.
The months of August, September. octo-
Der and November witness the greatest
movement Of these Levantines to the Bnit,s
ed States. and each year the number trav-.
cling to the west increases by large per-
centage. The enactment Of a new immi-
grafton law by Congress last year rather
disconnected the men who are profiting by
this particular form of immigration, and
after the steamship companies had been
put to considerable trouble and expense in
returning to France people they had taken
to the United States who were found def
clients; greater care was exercised In Sc
Letting those who were allowed to go. For
some reason or other this closer supervi-
sion has relaxed. This is ascribed by some
to the sympathy In the United States with
the oppressed people of the Turkish en-
pire, but more practical observers are in
clined to believe that there is a less Wig
orous enforcement Of the terms of the law
as applied to these refugees than when 1T
was first enacted. The steamship compa-
MES do not want to take any one across
the Atlantic who will be refused admission
to the United States. and the degree Of
care with which their surgeons examine
applicants for tickets is a good indication
Of the reception given the immigrant at
the end Of his journey.
Some of the Turkish agents who are han
ding these people in Marseille now assert
that suspects, as they call them, or people
of whom 1t may be suspected that they
have fncfpient trachoma, are now taken by
the steamship companies, who find 1t pos
sible to land them. This has encouraged
the immigration movement. and the word
all is well, and that those who are not too
manifestly afflicted will now be admitted
to the United States. There Is no possible
reason why such information should be
given out unless It Is true, because other
wise 1t would entail great loss upon the
steamship companies. Hence 1t must be
accepted as more or less a matter of fact
Europe regards the movement of these
people to the United States with indifer-
ence, but at the same time with more or
less wonder that great and prosperous
country should admit them within its Dor
ders France does not want them. and 1t
Is only by sufferance they pass through
her territory. The increasing severity of
legislation In the United
States does not prevent steady Increase
in the number Of peopls going to that couu-
try from all parts of the world. but the
character Of the average immigrant Is con-
stantly lowering in tone Drastic meas
ures are evidently necessary to check this
exodus OF undesirabies to the United
states. J. D. WHELPLEY.