The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1909-05-16
BABY PROVIDES
QUEER PROBLEM
FOR OFFICIALS
Child OF Woman Subject to De-
portatiOn Thrown Upon the
immigration Bureau.
Infant Taken From Mother Has
Birth Rights of Amer
lean Citizen

Victim of misfortune. wrenched from
the arms of his mother by decree of
the United States government. and de-
stined possibly. by that same decree.
TO know no mothers care or love dur
ing his lifetime. 10 months old baby
boy came yesterday to san Francisco.
The baby is still here. and the ques-
ton of how to provide him with
home has raised one of the most diff
ficult problems that the officials of a
certain busy federal office have been
called upon to solve IN many months.
Several days ago Ida Levin, a young
Russian, was arrested in Fresno on
charge brought against her by off,
cinls of the immigration department
under the statute making it a deporl-
able Ofense for a woman of foreign
birth to ply an immoral trade within
three years of her entry into this coun-
try. The woman was taken from the
den in which she was found In Fresno
and, after the necessary formalities.
was lodged yesterday in the Alameda
county Jail. With her she brought her
baby boy born out of wedIOck.
No PROVISION FOR CHILD
The mother is in jail and her de-
portation to Russia will naturally fol-
low in the course of events But the
federal government which can take
away her liberty and which can fur
nish funds to bring her north to try
her and eventually to send her back
to her native land has made no pro-
vision for her child. No part of the
money that may be spent in Kidding
the country of the mothers presence
can be devoted to the care of the baby.
The child eOnld not be taken to the
Jail, so it was brOugh, 10 the immi-
grafton Office in the custom house in
this city.
In the Office of Commissioner Hart IT.
North the presence of the baby effec-
tualiy stopped the usual routine of the
days work Though distracted by the
extraordinary responsibility suddenly
thrust upon him North made the infant
welcome and then hustled to see what
could be done. Food and clothing must
be had quickly. So while Miss Made
laine Lissak. NOrth's secretary. coddIed
the wee bundle of humanity her chief
sought frantically for assistance.
CHINESE CLOTHING PROVIDED
Assistance. even in the shape Of
clothing, was hard to find. One or two
charities to which North applied re-
fused to take any hand in the matter
on account of the infants parentaSe.
In the end it was Miss Donaldina Came
ron of the Presbyterian Chinese mission
in Prospect place who came to the res
cue. The clothing she had TO give con-
sisted only of Chinese garments. but
baby clothes of some sort were neces-
sary. and so il came about that this
infant found itself swaddled In celestial
attire
Temporary asylum was found for ths
baby last night at the home OF Mrs.
Wallenstein at 3451 Eighteenth street,
but the problem is still unsolved. A
baby born here is an American citizen
and can not be depOrted. Must the
child be torn forever from its mother.
or is the heart of the government big
enough and kind enough to show leni-
ency to the woman and alter the decree
that would send her back to Russian
And If she still must leave the terri
tory of the United States, what is to
become of the chiId2