The Washington herald., 1913-09-30
REPORT ISSUED,
RESULT0F PROBE
Allegations Of Rev. P. H.
Land, Told in The Herald,
Not Substantiated.
HIS CHARGES ARE UNTRUE
Authorities at Ellis Island Deny that
Children Could "Die Like
Flies" as Claimed.


partment Of Labor, published report
yesterday on an investigation made by
officers at Ellis Island following the pub
hcation of a speech In which the Rev.
Paul II. Land, Ellis Island missionary.
claimed that immigrant children "died
like flies" because of exposure.
| The speech of the Rev. Mr.. Land was
made on September p. before the Luther
an Synod in this city. The Bureau of
immigration based its investigation on
the story published by The Washington
Herald-the only full account of the
| speech published in Washington. it was
said by officials at the department.
In the report IL was denied that the
charges Of the Rev. Mr.. Land were true,
| or were based on actual conditions TeS-
| timony tended to show that Mr. Land
| had never been through the wards of the
hospitals against which he complained,
but had taken the word OF immigrant
women. Mr.. Land. when questioned dur
ing the investigation, admitted this, and
said that some OF his remarks had been
''misquoted."
Cause of Inquiry.
The story OF The Herald of the speech
Of Mr.. Land is reprinted. in part. from
the issue Of September %:
The free air treatment which seems
to be the rage among physicians of to-
day, is the cause OF hundreds of fmmi-
grant children dying like SO many flies"
said DIR. Land. Most OF the immigrant
children who come to this country have
spent most Of their lives on the farm |
They have all of the free air in their
work and little in their houses. When at |
work they dress warmly, and of all the |
peoples who dislike to raise a window the |
farmer takes the prize. These children |
a EFnNTTN nod Ill
rooms, and when put in the hospital /
wards at Ellis Island with nothing but \
thin sheet over them they die like flies. |
The hospital at Ellis Island, claimed |
TO be one OF the most modern in the l
land. is death trap for the immigrant
children. They are compelled TO lie in |
rooms with the windows and doors wide
open. They get all of the fresh air they
usually get in their work. but they are
not dressed to stand it"
The story printed by The Herald was
brought TO the attention of Commissioner
General OF Immigration A. Caminetti.
and he ordered the investigation
Byron H. Uhl. acting commissioner at
Ellis Island. examined Mr.. Land. He
showed him the clipping from The Her
aid. Mr.. Land was asked about the
clipping. He replied:
Il did not make these statements in
my speech ! did say that the free air
treatment seems to be the rage, and
that many immigrant children cannot
stand il IL i'll clad. as they are used TO
furs. The immigrant children reach this Il
country in a weakened condition. II
poorly clad by hospitals, and exposed to
cold air. they are liable to
die"
Statements of Women.
Mr.. Land said further that he had
ooh |
eight years. Most of the cases. he ad-
mitted, were remembered by him as Oc-
curing during the first part of the eight
years. He said there were two recent
,ases where l asked women to what they
attributed the death of their children in
hospitals and they told me. as far as I ,
,an remember, that their children could
not stand the drafts over there"
Mr.. Uhl asked what the cases were. Mr..
Land replied that ''if he was not ms
AIKEN one of the children was named |,
HerOld, and was the child Of a very
intelligent woman. a Scandinavian. he
believed, who attributed the death OF her
'hild TO fresh air."
Some further admissions follow:
Il have never gone through the wards
'f the contagious hospitals Cwhere the
'ases were treated at Ellis Island) and
did not mean to say in my speech any,
hing about the doctors / have always
heard that nurses did not do all thew
ould for the children"
Mr.. Land said that he was not ac-
uainted with the conditions of which he /
poke. He said he had taken the word
II the very intelligent immigrant
Mr.. Land admitted. it was brought out II
n the investigation by Mr.. Uhl. that he
ad claimed that children died from
resh air. He said, however, that he had II
cen misquoted. He did not attempt 70 III
how how he had been misquoted. After
e had said that the story was garbIed. III
e proceeded, If the report is correct,
admh~every word of II.
Missionary Is Criticised.
Mr.. Uhl sent the following letter to
Commissioner General Caminetti:
Il observed Mr.. Land at Ellis Island iii
nd had him call at my office for an in
'rview concerning his alleged statements
5 to conditions in the Ellis Island Hos
tal. The child on whose case the charges
ere based died OF measles. diphtheria,
suppuration of the L
iddle ears and CASTRO enteritis"
DR.. L. L. Williams. chief medical Of
GER at Ellis Island, wrote the following
tier concerning the charges:
II beg to state that Mr.. Lands state
ent, for the most part, contains its own Il
Efficient reply in that it principally is
atribe against the ventilation Of wards
which the sick are treated.
The necessity for free ventilation of III
le sick, especially those suffering from
cute infectious diseases, is so unfver-
lily recognized by all who possess any
OF modern medicine that II is
lite unnecessary for me to defend it.
THE Rev. Mr.. Land is doubtless
armed in his chosen calling. 1t is to be
.plored that before straying into the
I'D of another profession he should not
i've first acquainted himself with its
principles.
1T should be stated that many of the
'aths recorded in the CONTAGIOUS dis
se hospital at Ellis Island occurred In
e case Of patients brought to the hos