New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-07-11
NAGEL ADMITS LEN|ENCY
Brings Tears to Eyes OF Commit
tee Telling of Ellis Island.
DENIES ALLEGED CRUELTIES
Williams Would Welcome Inves-
tigation by Congress
Committee.
frrom ThA Trihunn Bureau. |

fFrom The Tribune Bureau.l
Washington. July l0-An unusual story
OF the human side OF the immigration ser
vice and OF instances where sentiment ana
not the strict letter OF the law had con-
troled his decisions, and OF the difficulties
under which immigration authorities labor
to give the poor alien both justice and mer-
cy. was told to the House Committee or
Rules to-day by Secretary Nagsl OF the De-
partment OF Commerce and Labor. The Sec
rotary appeared IN opposition TO the resolu-
ton introduced by Representative Sulzer
demanding an investigation OF conditions
at Ellis Island and alleged crueities and in
humanities there. Daniel J. Keefe. commits
sicnor general. and William williams. Com
missioner OF Immigration at the Port oil
New York. also appeared before the COM
mittee, and Joined Mr.. Nagel In denouncing
the charges as unjust. untruthful and in
furious to those who are doing their best.
Secretary Nsgel told the committee that
he had little 10 say in addition TO the testi-
mony OF the other witnesses. but when he
Lad begun his story Of the immigration
service his interest in the subject got the
better of him, and he unfolded a series of
committee members grow misty.
IF have any apology to make TO Con-
gress," he said at is for the leniency with
which 7 have enforced these immigration
laws You are entitled TO know that some
times sentiment has played part, for
an; human.
1T is all right to talk about law and a
hard and fast rule, but IT is sometimes hard
10 enforce those laws when sou confront a
pair of appealing eyes, and 7 am just as
susceptible as other men. 7 remember one
instance now. Tho immigration service
has been charged with murder because two
babies recently died in Quarantine. We
don't have anything TO do with the Quaran-
tine; that is a state matter; hut anyway
the babies did die. and the mother came
before me and Commissioner Williams.
"she had another baby left-one out OF
three. It had a contagious disease. Under
the law we should have kept them all out,
but when she entered the room ] knew that
my decision would he to admit her
Williams | said, T am going to admit
this mother II ] break all the laws on the
statute books The woman didn't say any
thing. She Just looked at me with a pair
OF sorrowful eyes, and / forgot the letter
Of the law. We arranged TO admit her
sick baby-the only one left-under bond
for treatment Technically I did not live
up TO the law. and the committee has a
right to know IT, but II Is oftener broken
n this way than the other.
These tragedies come up every day. We
can't take them all in, but there are no
atrocities and inhumanities at Ellis Island.
/ wish that the committee would come
there, that IL may sec what we have 10
deal with.
AS to separations, / can go into the dis
trlct Of the member who wants an investt-
cation and find a separation and tragedy
I'm every block. It's life. gentlemen, and
the only thing 10 do IS to face it.
we are doing the best we can with the
facilities which Congress has placed at our
DISPOSAL / have devoted more time to the
immigration service than TO any branch OF
my department These charges In this reso-
luton are cruel unfounded, injurious and
discoIraging to men who arc doing their
best The charges made before this com
mittee against the service could not have
been founded on first hand knowledge. |
have been to the island, and | know. IL
YOU will so there you will find an enormous
nroblem I'm the solution of which We need
all the help we can obtain. Heaven knows
my sympathies. perhaps too much so. are
with the alien. and'if tho law is strained II
IS in the interest Of leniency and kindness
and mercy"
Mr.. Nagel said that he did not know how
the charges against the service originated,
hut said he had recently received letter
from one o. J. Miller. demanding that the
SANITY" of commissioner Williams be In
vestigated When he asked for specific
charges this Miller had replied; we do
not care to surrender our facts to the de-
partment We would prefer to use them
for campaign material
"Who is Miller" asked the chairman.
81 don't know" replied Mr. Nagel.
mo one has preached as hard or as per
sistently as I have about the inadequacy
of the quarters at Ellis Island declared
Commissioner Williams. Il have repeat
edly asked for more money, but Congress
usually has given me only from one-third
m one-half Of what I asked. None of my
critics is eyer found helping me to get
money for these improvements.
Commissioner Williams said he hoped
Congress would send a committee To see
how we'll affairs are managed under eX-
listing conditions. lie emphaticaily denied
charges made b. Representative Sulzer
and other witnesses at a former hearing
that Ellis Island affairs were 'barbarous-
ly' conducted
He denied that any cases were judged
I'm a haphazard way. lie accused various
steamship companies OF making false
manifests relating to immigrants. Some
of these companies, he said, object to tax
ing back immigrants who had been Or
dered deported and who had been mani
tested az all right.
Most OF these steamship companies rep
resent foreign capital" he said. and they
have very little interest in United States
laws | could give you many instances OF
false manifests made by these companies
regarding immigrants just 10 show you the
kind of people they are trying 10 Glide into
this country"
Discussing show money Eases. Mr..
Williams said persons In this country otten
send money to immigrants, to be returned
IN them as soon as they land. We have
seen many cases of fights with immigrants
On ferry boats after they have Teen ad-
nitted." he concluded, by persons VINO
cot