The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-12-16
IMMIGRATION LAWS
NEED REBUILDING
CONGRESSIONAL INVESTIGATING
COMMITTEE MAKES RECON-
MENDATION FOR CHANGE

NEW YORK.-SOme of the defects of
Ellis Island aand seven recommenda-
tiOns which the congressional commit
tee will make to the house for a
frightening up of immigration reg
ulations throughout the United States,
particularly as they apply to anarch-
lists, bolshevists and other ultra rad
icals, were indicated here today by Of
ficials of the United States Immigra-
Ition Station by Representative Isaac
Siegel, member of the committee
which has been investigating this part
of entry.
These recommendations, according
to Mr.. Siegel, will include (D Natural
ization Courts in large cities; (2)
method of requiring all young Amer
leans to take the oath of allegiance up
on reaching 21 years; (3) abolition Of
the office of commissioner general of
immigration; (N appointment of an
assistant secretary of the department
of labor to supervise all immigration
affairs; (5) mandatory legislation pro-
viding for more rigid inspection at
Ellis Island where 80 per cent of in
coming aliens arrive; CO. a military
patrol on the Canadian
and Mexican borders; CD more drastic
penalty for ship owners who permit
alien members of crews to desert.
"You can't tell Red by looking at
him. declared one of the Ellis Island
officials. "You can't catch a Red by
cross-examining him. They are far
too willy and shrewd. 1t is only after
they have been in the country for a |
sufficient length of time that you dis |
cover their pernicious beliefs and 7
when you do no time should be lost in /
leporting them. No examination, prior
% entry, can give the protection in
ended by the law. 1t is necessarily
1erfunctory and ineligible aliens are
pound to slip through because of our
wrong methods"
New York has the biggest immigra-
ion station in the country, he said, the
,thers being at Boston, Baltimore,
Philadelphia, New Orleans, San Fran
cisco and Seattle, Wash Norfolk, Va,
Ind Galveston, Tex, are ports of en-
ry with inspection officers but are
lot classed as stations" like Ellis
sland and the rest. 1t is compara-
lively easy to shut out the mentally
md physically defective when they {
ome in at these big ports, said Con-
FRESHMAN Siegel, but the big problem
S to prevent the entrance of unde- !
irable aliens over our northern and I
outhern borders.
Inadequate as our immigration {
machinery may be in New York and t
ther large ports," said the congress-
nan, "lt is much more effective than I
be machinery we have along the in /
ernatiOnal boundary lines of Canada |
nd Mexico. We have no means of q
moving how many men and women, 9
ostile to American institutions and |
emOcratlc government, have sur e
eptitiOusly entered the United States. f
till another means of illegal ingress
as been for Reds to ship as sailors
nd desert upon reaching this country.
nder our present law the ship own s
rs can be penalized by a $40 fine only. n
We purpose making the penalty more n
.
The house committee, Mr.. Siegel G
aid, will recommend the establish +,
lent of the Naturalization Court so L
lat federal and other judges, whose b
me is taken up with hearing hun o
reds of civil and criminal cases, may n
, relieved of task of immense i'm y
ortance to the country's welfare but e-
hich, by the very nature of things at !,
resent, is generally sighted from -
leer judicial necessity. o.
Last year, Mr.. Siegel said, the gov p
'nment realized a net profit from ;s
aturilization fees of $450,000 and l.
q profit to date since the beginning
the immigration service has been
0,000,000. Such a court, it was said,
uld expedite hearings and "undesir-
)les," instead of being released on g
cir own recognizance or paroled in Il
Q custody of their lawyers, could be K
dered depOrted within thirty days. q;
One judge, said the congressman, n
s mind preoccupied with other cares tf
Gently had lot of naturalization IN
ses before him. The crowd in the tn
urt room represented several ma a
,nalities. Soon q bailiff shouted: M
III you Czecho-Slovaks hold up your ne
nds!' Up went the hands OF about al
dozen. The Judge, thinking OF 9TH M