Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-25

OF brows on the part Of immigration Off
Gals Is living in comfort at the Washing
ton Asylum Hospital. He understands no
one. DR.. Louis Zinkhan. who is bit of
a linguist. has tried French. German.
Spanish and variations on the stranger
without success. Occasionally. In a burst
of confidence. the foreigner-whom the
officials have named "Afred"-lugs forth
a bunch of language that sounds like
somebody dropping tin pans downstairs,
but this in no wise improves the situa-
ton
This is only one of the knotty problems
that the board of charities. with the aid
of the immigration bureau and the for
eign legations and embassies, is called
upon to solve each month Of the year.
The complications in this case are obvi-
Gus. The Austro-Hungarian embassy, not
being at all sure that the woman whom
the translator has designated is really
'Alfreds" wife, is disinclined to see him
deported. 1t Is hard to conceive of cir
cumstances more embarrassing to gov
eminent than the presentation to an in
nocent woman OF an elderly gentleman
suffering slightly from paralysis whom
she has never seen before. When one
imagtnes the government trying to con-
vince the woman that this Is her long
lost husband the situation becomes acute.
'Alfred's" case in some variation or an
other comes to the department each day
of the year. For example. there are
countless brawny men who apply to the
board of charities each month for trans
portation to some seaport on the ground
the custom Of the officials to send an alien
to the seaport where his consul can see
that he finds his way back to his native
country.
But the board Of charities department
must be careful in its administration. 1t
cannot afford to give out It's transporta-
ton tickets promiscuously, and each alien
is required to give information about him.
self When 1t Is refused and the man
cannot show the reasons why he should
receive transportation, he Is left to work
out his own salvation In this city.
Al the municipal lodging house there
are always a few husky aliens who have
been stranded here. Ultimately most of
them find work on construction gangs
But not infrequently the complications OF
a particular case will make the officials
wish that wall as high as the 2ibbet OF
Hannah was built around the United
States
One well dressed Englishman recently
visited the board Of charities carrying the
customary card which the British en-
bassy gives to those of its subjects who
desire transportation He explained thai
he was a clark who had been employed
in an office in Ottawa Canada
Give us the name of the last firm for
which YOU worked. requested the off1
Gals Also your address and the names
OF relatives who are living in Canada.
The well dressed man fairly snorted his
indignation.
That is none of your bloomin' bust
ness" he shouted.
Vainly the officials attempted to explain
that Identification was customary. 1t did
no good. The British subject waved hi:
card. breathed fire and birthstone all Owe
the place. and finally left with the an
nouncement that he would return afte
Great Britain had declared war and head
ed an invading army for Washington.
Subsequently, the officials learned tina
the man had money and was trying 4
work them for Il pass.
The British embassy furnishes tn