Grand Forks herald., 1919-12-18
.uNMICRANISARE
. WELL TREATED
AT ELLIS ISLAND
Ellis Island "visited" By
Thousands Each
Day.


known for years as 1.-The open door to
the oppressed of every land" and
which has become the subject of
congressional inquiry by reason OF Its
new character as a 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 Manhat-
tan. Their total area is approx
mately 20 acreA.
! Upon these islands, known as Nos
l, and are nineteen 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
from July to December last, near
ly $4,000 aliens entered the Land OF
; Opportunity and Freedom. Hun
dreds of "undesirables," it 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.
It seems an incongruity that Ellis
Island which. in summer. gives the
foreigner his first glimpse of the Won
ders' of the new worlds metropolis, a
pleasing view of beautiful lawns and
flowers, well-kept buildings and a
fine harbor with the marvellous sky
line of New York in the distance,
should have metamorphosed during
the war into a big detention place for
political criminals and the foes of or
ganized government
Not a Prison.
The fact is. Ellis Island. according
to the authorities, was not intended
as prison for such offenders. Fed
eral judges. in the past two years
acting under the authority. vested in
them, liberated 557 so-called dan.
gerous<aliens'' either upon their owr
recognizance or in the custody oI
their lawyers. according to Repre-
sentative Isaac siegel. a. member ot
, which, is investigating the Red peril
During the same period 6a7 an
archists, Bolshcvists and other radi
calls have been sent from various
parts of the United States to New
York. OF this number IS are now il
custody of Acting Immigration Com
missioner Byron G. Uhl. the successor
Gently, and since 1918 had served a:
commissioner.
A representative Of The Associated
Press was permitted to make toul
of the Ellis Island buildings.
Feed 800 Immigrants.
Nine hundred immigrants were be
ing fed in the large dining hall a
the time. Not only did there appea.
to be an abundance of food of ;
wholesome kind but the tables an,
dishes were clean. Fresh white pa
per in long rolls was used as "tabl'
cloths"
The menus for breakfast. Dime
and supper. for four successive days
for instance, showed the folloWin,
variable diet: So s. =
Breakfast-Farina. cornmush, o
boiled rice with milk: stewed prune
,Ior peaches; bread and butter (substi
tute): coffee.
Dinner-Soup (split pea, farme
lima BEAM; Irish stew with vege
tables; baked Goldfish Il la italian
French roast with bordelaise sauce
kidney stew with rice; coldslaw
bread and butter (substitute); rice o
liberty pudding: coffee.
supper-Salisbury steak with onio
sauce; roast beef hash with greer
pork and beans: bread and butte
(substitute); apple sauce or black
l berry jelly; tea or coffee.
1t should be understood that tn
menus given constituted the variet
for more than three meals. An in
! tefGSLlnS feature OF The Qln1nE ma
was a "kosher" table set apart fo
the Orthodox Jews.
The aliens are fed by genera
contractor who is allowed a profit O
five per cent above cost by the gov
ernment. According to Commission
er Uhl meals have been served for a
low a price as % cents and recentl
for So cents.
When the immigrants arrive at Ell
lis Island, after having undergon
medical inspection, they are ushere
into a large room filled with 20 line
Of benches Inspectors and inter
prefers. after examining each alier
pass him on the way to the rail
road room or detain him for spc
cfal board of inquiry. This board
composed Of three inspectors desig
mated by the government at Wash
ington and handles only cases wt1ic
are suspected of inadmissa bility. A
many as 5000 immigrants have bee
thus handled in one day.
This reception hall is in the cer
ter Of the largest building on islam
No. /. On the second floor Is gal
lery running the entire circumference
and on this floor and on the othe
floors above are numerous sleepin
quarters in the center of which ar
triple deck hunks for 70 occupant.
These quarters appeared clean, ligt
and well-ventilated. The bunks wer