The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1919-12-17
ELLIS ISLAND HAS
BEEN INVESTIGATED
LANDING PLACE FOR IMMIGRANTS
is ALSO MADE A DEPORTA-
TION STATION

NEW YORK.-Ellis Island, knowr
for years as "the open door to the op-
pressed of ever land'' and which has
become the subject of a congressional
inquiry by reason of it's new character
f. as place of detention for hundreds
of anarchists and other dangerous
radicals, is really three small islands
in New York harbor about one mile
southwest Of Manhattan. Their total
area is approximately 20 acres.
Upon these islands, known as Nos
l, and 3 are 19 large and small
buildings of brick and stone, many of
them handsome structures of four and
five stories, used as the United States
immigration Station for this port and
through which, from July 1 to De-
cember 1, last, nearly $4,000 aliens en-
tered the Land of Opportunity and
FreecNm. Hundreds of ''undes1ra-
bles, ,Nfit should be stated, were at the
same time sent back to the lands of
their birth. The immigration service
here employs 372 workers, including
inspectors who board incoming ships.
1t seems an incongruity that Ellis
Island which, in summer, gives the
foreigner his first glimpse of the won
ders Of the New Worlds metropolis,
apleasing view of beautiful lawns and
flowers, well-kept buildings and fine
harbOr with the marvellous skyline of
New York in the distance, should have
metamOrphosed during the war into
a big detention place for political
criminals and the foes of organized
government.
The fact is, Ellis Island according
to the authorities, was not intended
as a prison for such offenders. Fed
eral judges, in the past two years,
acting under the authority vested In
them, liberated 557 So-called danger
GUS aliens" either upon their own rec
ognizanqe or in the custody of their
lawyers, according to Representative
Isaac Siegel "a member of the house
immigration committee which is in
vestigating the Red peril. During the
same period 697 anarchists, bolshe-
visits and other radicals have been sent
from various parts of United States
to New York. Of this number 85 are
now in custody of Acting Immigration
Commissioner Byron G. Uhl, the sue
cessor to Frederic C. Howe, who un-
til recently, and since 1913 had served
as commissioner
A representative of The Associated
Press was permitted to make a tour of
the Ellis Island buildings. Nine hun
VI GU Aiuu1l duIS WSIO O01uS LEU Ill Lie
large dining hall at the time. Not
only did there appear to be an abund-
'ance of food of wholesome kind but
the tables an ddishes we're clean.
Fresh white paper in long rolls was
used as table cloths
The menus for breakfast, dinner and |
supper, for four successive days, for |
instance, showed the following varia-
bic diet: Breakfast-Farina, corn /
mush, or boiled rice with milk; stewed |
prunes or peaches; bread and butter
(substitute) coffee. Dinner-Soup
(split pea, farmer style, mock turtle,
English beef land lima BEAM; Irish
stew with vegetables; baked Goldfish
la Italian French roast with
bordelaise sauce; kidney stew with
rice; coldslaw; bread and butter
(substitute) rice or liberty pudding;
coffee Salisbury steak with
onion sauce; roast beef hash with
green peppers; ham with macaroni;
baked pork and beans; bread and but
ter (substitute) apple sauce or black
berry jelly; tea or coffee.
1t should be understood that the
menus given constituted the variety
for more than three meals. An inter-
esting feature Of the dining hall was
a Kosher" table set apart for the .
Orthodox Jews.
The aliens are fed by general
contractor who is allowed a profit of {
s per cent above cost by the govern {
mentv. According to Commissioner ,
Uhl meals have been served for as low l
a price as % cents and recently for :
36 cents !
When the immigrants arrive at Ellis s
Island, after having undergone med I
lcal inspection, they are ushered into {
2 large room filled with 20 lines of
benches Inspectors and interpreters, t
after examining each alien, pass him /
On the way to the railroad room" or S
1etain him for a special board of in v
4uiry. This board is composed of S
hree inspectors designated by the gov b
srnment at Washington and handles r
only cases which are suspected of in v
admisSability. AS many as 500 immi- O
grants have been thus handled in one S
lay. S
This reception hall is in the center
If the largest building on Island No. 1. v
IN the second floor is gallery run a
ling the entire circumference and on S
his floor and on the other floors above 1
ire numerous sleeping quarters in the S
enter of which are triple deck hunks e
or 70 occupants. These quarters ap- 81
reared clear, light and well-ventilat- p
ID. The hunks were of steel with
wire mattresses. More comfortable
uarters were provided for women and
and the aged.
From the time the United States en- !, y
cred the war and until last July a =
arge part Of this building was used =
or housing enemy aliens prior to -
heir shipment to detention camps and - -
ater was used as hospital for con- e
American soldiers and sail = =
RS. u
In large wing of the administra- =;
ion building the IS radicals now in
ustody are kept. Seven of the ring
saders of the recent hunger strike
re occupying the so-called "pen,' a fo