Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-21

present rather less than 3 per cent of the
population of London is alien; yet num-
Der of prominent London magistrates ana
judges have declared on oath that from
10 to % per cent of the criminals tried be-
fore them are foreigners. Official statis-
tics prove that the increase of foreign
crime in England during the five years end
ing March. 1903, varied from III per cent
in the case of Russians and Poles. down.
through various grades in the other ma
tionalities. to minimum of 70 per cent In
the case of Americans.
Yet the Russians and Poles are by no
means the most criminal of Englands alien
immigrants. More criminals come from
their ranks than from any other national
ity. but that is only because they are in an
erwhelming majority The worst Offend
ers are undoubtedly the Italians, who are
increasing at an alarming rate, and are OF
much lower grade mentally morally and
physically than the Italians in America.
This is natural, because they are in most
cases men who have been barred out Of
the United States.
A Traffic in Child Slaves.
There exists an Ubiquitous and wide
spread traffic In child slaves, who are
brought to London from Italy for the pur-
pose of begging. The ''padrone." an Italian
who has learned the ropes in London. goes
back to Calabria the south of Italy and
buys a number of children from their
peasant parents He brings them to Lon
don and sends them out in the streets to
beg or to turn the handle of a "hurdy-
.gurdy' street organ. 1t is easy to under
stand that the children are brutally treat
ed, especially If they do not bring home
as much money as the ''padrone" expects.
The London police have been doing their
best to put down this new form of the
slave trade and several Italians have been
convicted and sent to Jail. In one case it
was proved that the "padrone'' had no
fewer than fifty boys and girls of tender
trag hoo, rfr,4r fa- l. Odd l. i
bought all of them from their parents In
Italy.
AS may be readily agined, there is
far blacker side to this traffic, but it is
Benevolent Society in London. which is
maintained by respectable Italians, first
brought this gigantic crime to light, and
has been untiring In its efforts to stamp it
out.
Most of the Italian immigrants are just
as bad in their mode of living as the Rus
sian and Polish Jews. In a typical case
an Italian was summoned for sending a
child out into the streets to beg. The police
man who went to his tiny garnet found that
he, lived there with his wife. six children
and a couple of dodgers. They all herded
In one small room, and the policeman's as
sertion that it ''smelt horribly is not open
to doubt. There was only one small bed,
on which the husband and wife slept. I'm
derneath 1t were kept the appliances for
making ice cream, which the man vended
mixed population of the room also included
dog. cat. monkey and several white
mice.
The statistics as to the number of alien
immigrants in England are inexact and I'M
trustworthy. Even those compiled In re-
cent years by the board of trade are ad-
n1ittedly incomplete. The census of 1891
showed that there were then about 10000
lieved that the number is really vastly
greater many aliens pretending to be ma
tives. The foreign Jews in London are es-
timated to number at least 10000, and
country, according to the latest board of
trade returns, at the rate of over 100000
a year.
SO far as numbers go, America receives
vastly more immigrants than England but
America gets the cream and England the
skim milA. Then, too, England S faculty
of assimilation is nfinitesimal in compari-
son with America s.
The Crux of the Problem.
Just as this country shuts her doors more
and more tightly against the refuse popula-
ton of the old world, so, in inverse ratio,
will the troubles of the little overcrowded
island of Great Britain increase.
An instance of the way the thing works
out was afforded some time ago by party
of Syrian Arabs. They were sent from Mar
seilles to New York, with their passage
paid but they were not allowed to land, as
they were destitute. They were deported to
Havre by the ship which brought them to
this country. They remained there about
six weeks, while their case was under con-
sideratio and the French authorities then
ordered their deportation.
They drifted to Hamburg, but Germany
also barred them out. England was their
only hope. They were sent on a German
steamship to Liverpool. Immediately after
landing there they had to go to the work.
house, where they were supported for sew
eral months at the expense Of English tax
payers Eventually they were sent back to
Syria by public subscription among the
generous citizens of Liverpool.
The other day cablegram appeared in
the American newspapers stating that large
numbers of Russian Jews were stranded in
Copenhagen. They had paid for their pas
sage to the United States. but the Russian
agents had cheated them, only providing
them with tickets to Copenhagen. Danish
shipping agents are giving the poorest free
tickets to the United States" said the ca
blegram. Many, however, will not be al
lowed to sail for America, 1t having been
found that they are suffering from ira
choma. 1t is expected that these will go to
England.
King Edwards Autocratic Power.
What Is to be the remedy? Prominent
public men In England are giving the ques-
ton their most earnest consideration. Many
of them have personally investigated the
evil conditions in the slums. visiting the
sweatshops and homes of the aliens. Chief
among these men are Mr.. Chamberlain
Lord Dunraven, Lord Rothschild. the bish-
ops of Bedford and London and Sir Howard
Vincent. Commission after commission has
investigated the matter, and more than one
futile effort at legisat ton has been made
The last commission, which was appoint
ed in 1902 and presented its report some
months ago. recommended the establish
ment Of an immigration department sim
liar to that of the United States for the
purpose of debarring and repatriating "un-
desirables." 1t also made curious recon-
mendation for the prevention of overcrowd-.
ing, suggesting that aliens who may land
in the future shall be prohibited from living
or working In the areas where aliens are at
present thickest. To enable this regulation
to be enforced a system of registration of
aliens is recommended. While all that the
commission desires may not be done. some
restrictive legislation is probable in the
near future
Yet, strange as it may seem, no legisla-
tion is necessary. There is an aspect Of the
question which all the agitators, in and out
of parliament, seem to have lost sight Of
King Edward has the legal power to stop
the influx of undesirable aliens into his
dominions, whenever he chooses. He can
do it by simply issuing an order, and he is
under no necessity to seek for the approval
of parliament. In this one matter at least,
the most constitutional Of constitutional
- L