The San Francisco call., 1910-09-27
angel ISLAND
MIDDLE IS TO
BECONSIDERED
Washington Cabinet TO Investi-
gate Increase of Pig Tailed
Immigrants Here
Petition of Exclusion League
/ Asking NOrth's Removal on
Way TO Capital

T.. From Washington comes word that
among the topics programmed for
consideration at the cabinet meeting
81 is the state OF affairs at the immigra-
tion station on Angel island and, ac-
" cording TO officials high in the depart
rlent Of commerce and labor, an i'm
mediate investigation Will be ordered
as soon as President Taft receives
Secretary Nagers recommendations.
For the first time in many months
employees at the immigration station
enjoyed no holiday last Sunday and
were bereft of the half holiday that is
usually theirs Saturday afternoon.
Four inspectors whose work had
been invaluable in detecting fraud in
the papers of Chinese immigrants were
removed recently from Angel island
and sent TO act as watchmen at re-
mote stations on the northern and
Southern borders. 1t was explained
that they had been sent away because
the great falling off in Chinese im1ni-
grafton made the maintenance OF
large STAFF no longer necessary.
Hardly were the four inspectors out
Of the way than the tide Of Chinese
immigration suddenly swelled to un-
usual proportions. This was predicted
at the time the inspectors were re-
moved. as IL was learned that China
town had been told Of the intended re-
moYals a month or two before they
went into effect. 1t was also learned
that the Chinese throughout California
Had been notified that when these in
spectors went it would be compara-
Ifvely easy for the pig tailed immi-
grants whose credentials were not like
Caesars wife to crawl through the bars
OF the exclusion gate.
SUDDEN INCREASE NOTED
~ Il is known that word was sent to
China and the records show that Chi
nese immigration took a sudden bound.
Among the immigrants who have ar
rived since the removal of the four In
Spectors have been many new cases,
the class among which most Of the
frauds are found.
This rush of Celestials is responsible
for the suspension of all holidays on
Angel island. The cases of Chinese
who arrived here more than a week
ago on the Manchuria have not been
disposed Of and the Chiyo Maru, which
arrived Friday, brought a lot more.
Although the present congestion would
justify recalling the four inspectors,
who on account of their experience
would be invaluable at a time like this,
they are still holding down watch
mems jobs on the border.
: The publicity given by The Call to
the removal from Angel island of
sWatchman David Graham has resulted
in his recall. Graham was removed, il
was said at the time, because of hts
aggressive activity in preventing the
coaching of detained immigrants by
their friends and agents in Chinatown.
. A petition from the Asiatic exclusion
league to the president asking for the
removal Of Commissioner Hart North is
now on its way to Washington. Headed
in the same direction is q trio of pc
titions secured on Norths behalf from
the employees on Angel island, from the
Chinese residents of this state and
from the lawyers who have been en-
gagged from time to time in handling
cases of Chinese whose right to land
was disputed.
NORTH DEFENDS ACTIONS
When Inspector Ainsworth filed
charges against North the commits
sionersaid:
1T viii be found that the Chinese are
back Of Ainsworth in this matter. They
are trying through him 10 reach me, in
revenge for my efforts to enforce the
exclusion act I can prove this to the
HGLlSLdGl4Cn OF ANYBODY IlGL inter-
ested when the time comes"
That North has changed his mind is
evident from the fact that Chinatown
has been beseiged with requests to
sign a petition extolling the commits
sioner's virtues The Chinese consul
general is said TO be among those who
have been asked TO subscribed to his
testimonial. The Chinatown petition
was engineered by Inspector Henry C.
Kennah, who is Norths right hand man
on Angel island.
The Angel island petition, which is
II the form Of a round robin, is said
20 have been circulated by North S
sogrspher, although the text of the
alton Is said 10 have been carefully
ucitpA by the commissioner himself.
flfc petition is said to be so worded
that those who signed it might have
some difhdence, after subscribing to its
terms, in testifying against the COM
missioner at any investigation that
might be held. 1t is said, however,
that many signed il reluctantly and
that not a few refused to sign it at ALL
Meanwhile the force at Angel island
IS struggling with the mass of creden-
tials submitted by the yellow irnmi-
grants, who are waiting serenely for
the lifting Of the bars, which, they
were told can now be moved without
dif7cuirY