The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-05-25

New York, May 25.--The most i'm
portant post in the immigration system
of the country, that of commissioner of
immigration at Ellis Island, is to have
a new head. President Taft has sent
the name of William williams of this
city t. the senate and 1t will be rati-
fled in due time Mr.. Williams sue
ceeds Robert Watchorn, who has re-
ceived much criticism during the past
few weeks. The following statement
was given out at the White House CO.
incident with the appointment of Mr..
Williams:
This post has been recently held by
Robert Watchorn, whose administra-
tion of the Office proved to be unsat-
isfactory to the president and the Sec
retary of commerce and labor although
there have been interested in his re-
tention number of good people who
did not understand the facts in respect
to the condition of the Office Mr..
Wachorn's resignation was not re-
quested, but he was under investiga-
tion by Mr.. Nagel, the secretary of
commerce and labor, and his course in
Office was the subject of inquiry at the
time he rendered and insisted upon his
resignation His resignation was ac-
cepted for the good of the service
Mr.. Williams has had a very long
and thorough cervice in the admins
tration of this Office and resigned it
voluntarily to resume the practice of
law in New York city. The president
and the secretary were anxious to have
the office administered with a single
view to its efficiency in the enforce
ment of the immigration laws and to a
proper protec ion of the immigrants
coming into this country Mr.. Will
liams' record in his previous adminis-
tration insures this result Mr. Will
liams is a Yale man and a friend of
the presidents, and was not a candi-
date for appointment, but most reluc-
family yielded to the insistence of the
president and the secretar.- that he
take the Office in order to put it again
on a proper basis. -
'It has been reported that Mr.
Watchorn's resignation was due to
political exigency. This statement is
Utterly unfounded, and the appointment
OF Mr.. Williams is the most complete
refutation of that statement that could
be made. The secretary Of commerce
and labor and Mr.. Williams have had
conferences about the administration
of Ellis Island and are in complete ac-
cord as to how the island should be
administered"
Mr.. Williams, who was born in Lon
don forty-six years ago, was appointed
to succeed Thomas Fitchie as commits
sioner of immigration of this port in
April, 1902. He held the place until
Januard 1905, when he sent his resig-
nation to President Roosevelt, who af-
ter expressing his regret that Mr..
williams desired to resign, appointed
Robert Watchorn as his successor Mr..
Williams was graduated from Yale
university in 1884 and from the Har-
ward law school in 1888. He spent much
of his early life at school in Germany.
After his admission to the bar he open
ed law Office in this. city, and in 1892
was one of the junior counsel for the
Government in the Bering Sea arbitra-
tion. At the time OF the Spanish war
he took the field with squadron A in
1898, and was commissioned as major
in the quartermaster's department Mr..
Williams is republican, but has not
taken any active part in politics. For
many. years he has made the Univer-
sity club his home