Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-17
Ell;. I.laa1 TaIe. Il. /
On Ne,u Interest


which has become the subject Of
congressional inquiry by reason Of Its
new character az place OF detention
! for hundreds OF anarchists ana othT
er dangerous" radicals. Is really three
small islands In New York haraor
about one mile southwest OF Manhat-
tan. Their total area Is approximate
ly twenty acres.
Upon these islands. known as Nos !,
2 and 3 are nineteen large and small
buildings OF brick and stone, many oil
them handsome structures of four anu
| five stories, used as the United states
Immigration station for this port ana
thru which, from July to DEG. last.
nearly $4,000 aliens entered the lana
OF opportunity and freedom. Hundreds
OF "un6eBirubles'', II should be stated.
were at the same time, sent back to
the lands Of their birth. The immi-
grafton service here employs Siz
workers including inspectors who
board incoming ships.
It seems an -inconSruity that Eiiis
island, which. in summer, gives the
foreigner his first glimpe OF the Won
ders OF the new worlds metropolis,
pleasing view OF beautiful lawns and
flowers, WE'LL kept buildings and me
harbor with the marvellous skyline oil
New York in the distance, should nave
metamorphosed during the war into
big detention place for political erim-
innls and the foes Of organized gov
eminent. ..
| The fact Is, Ellis island according
TO the authmorities. was not intended
as a prison for such offenders Federal
judges, in the past two years, acting
under tho authority vested in them
liberated 557 so-called dangerous
aliens either upon their own recog-
nizance or In the custody OF their law
yers, according to Representative
Isaac Siegel, q member of the house
immigration committee which is an
vestigating the red peril. During the
same period 6s7 anarchists. holsheVtsts
and other radicals have been. sent
from various parts Of the United
states to New York. OF this numoer
eighty Ave are now IN custody OF Act
Ing immigration Commissioner Byron
Ia. Uhl, the SUCCESSOR. to Frederic Z.
Howe, who until recently. and since
1 kY4o IAO 00lNc3 ~ SSAbA~A@SSASASA'
! A representative Of the, Associated
Press was permitted to make tour
of the Ellis island buildings.
| Nine hundred immigrants were be-
ing fed in the large dining hall at the
time. Not only did there appear to be
an abundance Of food OF a wholesome
kind but the tables and dishes were
| 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 variable
diet: Breakfast: Farina. corn nush.
or boiled rice with milk; .stewed
prunes or peaches: bread and butter
(substitute): coffee. Dinner: Soup
l (split pea, farmer style. mock turtle
1nsiish bssf. and lima bean); Irish
sesw With vegetables: baked Goldfish
4 Il Italian; French roast with borde-
laise sauce; kidney stew with rice;
cold slaw; bread and butter .(substi-
tute>; rice Or liberty pudding; coffee.
lSupper: Salisbury steak with onion
sance: roast beef hash with green
4 peppers; ham with macaronia: baked
pork and beans; bread and butter
(substitute); apple sauce or black
berry Jelly; tea or coffee.
II should be understood that the
menus given constituted. the variety
for more than three meals. An inter-
esting feature of the dining aan was
a KOSHER" table set apart for the
| Orthodox Jews. IS
The aliens are fed by a general con-
tractor who ia allowed a profit Of
per cent above cost by the govern
ment. According to Commissioner
Uhl meals have been served for as
low a price as % cents and recently
for 80 cents. ..4....
When the immigrants arrive at
Ellis Island, after having undergone
medical inspection. they are ushered
into a large room filled with twenty
lines of benches. Inspectors and In
terpreters. after examining each alien
pass him on the way to the rail-
| road room" or detain him for q special
board Of inquiry. This board is COM
posed Of three inspectors designated
by the government at Washington and
handles only cases which are sus-
pected OF misunderstanding. As many
az 5000 immigrants have been thus
handled In one day.
This reception hall Is in the center
Of the largest building on Island No. l.
On the second floor 10 a gallery run
ming the entire circumference and on
this floor and on the other floors above
are numerous sleeping quarters in the
center Of which are triple deck hunks
for seventy-two occupants. These
quarters appeared clean, light and
welI-ventilated. The hunks were 'oi
steel with wire mattresses More
comfortable quarters were provided
for women and children and the aged
From the time the United States
. entered the war and until last JUL. a
large part Of this building was used
for housing enemy aliens prior to theil
shipment to detention camps and latei
was used as hospital for con
vaIescent American soldiers sand
sailors. .. i.-,s,t T.
In large wing Of the administra-
ton building the eiShty-hye radicals
now In custody are kept. seyens Of
the ring leaders Of the recent hunger
; strike are occupying the 80 called
pen" 0 we'll lighted and ventilated
room some distance from the, main
detention room. The occupants pass
the time reading. smoking and playing
. games. All Of the prisoners are per-
mittsd 70 exercise In the open ali
. daily. Two women anarchists ar
. rested in tho recent raids here occupy
another small room. the door OF which
vhsn nnnensd showed them to b<
: reading. 4 thin wire mesh and ne
iron bars II on the outside Of al tn!
twindows but armed guards are or