The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-03-01
TWO MORE MEMBERS
FOR ANANIAS CLUB
DR.. A. W. Ferris and DR.. Will
gus the Offenders.
ACCUSED SECRETARY STRAUs
President Roosevelt UphOIds His
Cabinet Officer Against Attack Of
Lunacy Experts. who Had Charged
Laxity in Immigration Enforce
ment-An Unwarranted Statement.

Two more members have been added to
the Ananias Club By President Roosevelt
They are Dr.. Albert Warren Ferris,
president Of the New York State lunaey
commission, and a fellow -member OF the
commission, DR. Wngus.
By the Presidents direction Secretary
Loeb has written 70 Dr. Ferris. as fol
lows:
The President directs me TO forward to
you herewith the answer Of the Secre-
tsry OF Commerce and Labor to your
communication Of February 10 10 the
President IN reference to the Secretary.
The President regards the answer as COM
plete and as showing that YOU, accusa-
tons against the Secretary are wholly
without warrant or justification.
Accused Of Laxity.
The two members Of the State Iunacy
commission informed the President that
45-7 per cent OF the insane in the New
York hospitals are Of foreign birth. due
TO the lax enforcement Of the immigration
laws by Secretary Straus.
Secretary Sraus' letter Is in part as
follows:
"On February % there was referred TO
me letter addressed 10 you by Or. Al
bert Warren Ferris. president OF the New
York state Commission in Lunacy. While
no request was made that should submit
a reply thereto desire, in justice to the
department. 10 lay before sou the facts
in answer 20 the exsgEeration and IN
truthful statements made by DR.. Ferris
This letter. Mr President. You wiz re-
cali. was written subsequent to an inter-
siew Dr. Ferris and his associate, Dr..
Wilgus. had vita you several weeks age.
They had at the time drawn Up paper
which was so palpabIy misleading and
untruthful or its face that you refused
10 receive it. and sou requested them 70
place before you more definite state
ment
DIT Ferris. in his letter referred TO-
which return herewith. makes the state
ment that s5-I per cent OF the insane in
the New York state hospitals are OF
foreign birth. whereas only -63 per cent
OF the total population Of the State was
Of foreign birth in l9a0. in other words.
he starts ot1t with false proposition.
comparing tire insane IN state hospitals
in the year 1877 with the percentage Of
foreign population A. shown by the
census Of Iso
Secretary StrauS goes on 70 say AS
90 the second charge. that the immigra-
ton laws 81 1917 are ample and adequate
Cto keep insane aliens out OF the United
States. L properly enforced according 70 (
their terms. bat they are not so enforced I
IN support Of this general charge. il IS (
alleged that under rule s OF the immi-
cratic 10 citations established By the
Comm so OF General OF immigration.
certain alien insane are landed whose
landing Is especially forbidden by section
Of the immigration law This charge
Is based upon "a complete misuuderstand- 1
ing Of the purport Of the rule in ques-
tion, as well as the practice under it
An Unwarrauted Statement.
The letter continues:
DR.. Ferris wishes TO convey the i'm /
preston that the presence in the public 4
Institutions OF New York Of a large
quota Of insane aliens is due 10 the
failure Of this department TO execute (
the law. This IS another Of his false .
and unwarranted statements Il should /
be borne in mind. which. Dr.. Ferris, 4
however, takes pains 10 conceal. that +
nearly half Of the insane foreign born IN +
New York hospitals are uaturalized citi- I
zens OF the United States The re- /
naming half must have resided in the
United States for more than three years.
or had neither been insane at the time
of their entry Or ar any time prior there
TO. otherwise they would not be subject 10 I
deportation
DIR. Ferris, presumably fer the pur-
pose Of magn!fying the Importance OF the
state commission in lunacy. Of which he
is president. maintains a board OF three
alienists. who detect as far as possible
the incoming alien insane, with view
to obtaining their deportation under sec
ton Of the immigration act
Following the example Of New York
State, the Marine Hospital Service also
established Q board Of three alienists.
In the first instance Il Is not true that
the Marine Hospital Service followed any
example that was set by Dr. Ferris
The Secretary says that during the last
fiscal year SOS aliens were jIeported by
the department as insane. and in con-
clusiOn submits to the President the ad-
Of referring this entire CORE
spOncenCe TO the governor Of New York.
SO that he may take such action in re-
gard 20 his subordinates. DrS- Ferris
and Wilgus- as he may deem proper. es-
pecially as be has now q commission ap-
pointed by him az work 20 investigate
the entire subject of immigration in the
State Of New York, and it may be Of
Importance 10 know what reliability can
be placed upon the statements and re-
ports Of the officials named.