New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-02-02
The American Lamb
HOW GOD TEMPeRs THE IS
SHORN.
Copyright. 1919. by C. W. smalIey)

'iVih beOTSe ftcrDefI WHO DOfIoWeu IL
/ from Henri Estienne, is in this case but
half truth. The lamb is shorn, but
whether the winds are tempered to him
Is question each American has to de-
eide for himself. in the light Of the
facts; of which | give samples only.
II is not Mr.. Loeb with whom | have
! first TO deal. He shall have short
vacation; the more willingly since he is
! likely TO have a permanent vacation
not long after the 4th of March next.
| And, indeed he has shorn the lamb so
close these last three or four years that
not much fleece remains: nor perhaps
quite all the skin. 1t is, so far as ! can
make out, the Department of Com
merce and Labor that yields the shears
which nipped at us as we left the
| Mauritania Friday morning. NoVem-
| Der 22nd. Then it was that. for the
| first time during 46 years, ] found that
| ]. an American by birth, could not
enter my native land without the per-
mission of the United States Alien
Commissioner at Ellis Island. a day
or two before we arrived the following
notice was served on all saloon pas
sengers:
I "Curard +. VI. :. Mauritania.
NOTICE.
In accordance with instructions is
sued by the United states Alien Com
missioner at Ellis Island. il will be nee
cssary for passengers to pass the Com
mission before landing on arrival at
| New York. Passengers are therefore,
respectfully requested TO assemble in
the First Glass Lounge. where the Com
missioner will be seated TO pass them
before disembarking. To avoid delay
and inconvenience. a bell will be rung
notifying passengers when 10 attend
! in the Lounge
Accompanying this steamship notice
| was a circular dated. "Office Of Com
missioner OF immigration. Ellis Island.
New York Harbor, New York: and
then i'm black type
"Manfesting and Inspection of Cabin
Passengers Goth Citizens and Aliens
Therein we read:
Passengers To the United States who
| claim TO he United States Citizens on
! the ground that they We're born in the
| United States shall as sicl or prior
to the time of foreign embarkation be
requested to state with accuracy their
place of birth"
1t is further provided that American
! citizens who satisfy the steamship
| agents as to their place of birth may be
listed on special manifest sheets; what
ever that may mean. The steamship
agents are foreigners and TO them. at
| Liverpool or other foreign port. Ameri-
| cans returning 10 America are expected
to furnish evidence of their American
nationality. The thing is absurd on the
| face Of 1t: and impossible. We do lot
| travel with certificates OF birth In or
| pockets. The steamship companies.
| being managed by men Of business
| and of sense. know that only "A formal
compliance with these requests can he
! expected They provide blank forms
| on which the passenger enters such
particulars as he chooses: and nothing
more is asked of him or could be asked
unless all international travel Is TO b.
| stopped / have stated in writing,
! forget how many times during the last
two months, that / was born in Frank
| lin: which is little town in Norfolk
| County Mass do not ''claim" TO be
an America; n citizen. ! nm an American
| citizen and | am at loss to know
what public interest is served by re-
| duiring me to explain 10 British
steamship owner where | was born.
| Rut then comes Paragraph > OF this
| interesting Ellis Island circular:
ITO each cabin passenger there shall
be delivered during the voyage ticket
or identification card Canding card)-in
accordance with Section Is Of the I'm
migration Act-to be presented TO the
! Immigration authorities upon arrival"
And a placard was hung up in the
companionway:
Landing Cards are now ready and
NAV be had at the Purser's Office"
| The Ellis Island Commissioner OF Inn
migration notified us also that these
landing cards would have 10 be wise
he is responsible for the grammar: not
| nor the proofreader-by the lmmigra-
tim Inspectors on board. Three hun
dred cabin passengers were expected TO
nresent themselves in the Lounge on
the upper deck, "wherc the Commits
sioner will be seated" and they stand
to wait his pleasure. They did. ] sup
nose. present themselves, when the bell
was rung. / al not hear the bell and
had forgotten that | had to undergo
this ordeal, and was starting for the
pancway when an officer Of the ship
good naturally reminded me that had
not "passed the Commissioner. |
went up and found not one but three
Commissioners seated" and waiting;
one of whom, without looking at me OF
nv card or uttering {, word, put his
mark or label or whatever 1t was, on
the card. and | was at liberty to go
ashore.
Can any human being say what the
use of all this was? Can the Ellis ISL
| and Commissioner Of immigration say?