The Washington times., 1920-05-20
tCoati...d from Yesterday

hN~.seS ASSs"
Il use my best judgment. but. OF
course. must make mistakes some
times. There are several reasons
for keeping immigrants out-if
they are mentally or physically dis
abled. or old and likely TO become
state charges. or, OF course, chill
dren under sixteen who have no
friends; then, too, women who come
here without relatives are often re-
turned"
At this point the interpreter ush-
cred In a miserable stunted Polish
= Jew. The commissioner looked over
mis- papers "You say you have
been in America before; when did
you first Gomez
The Jew hesitated, evidently
frightened. The interpreter re-
peated the question In the mans
native tongue. and at last he an
swered, Five years ago"
How long did you remain here?'
Two years"
You were here two years, and
yet you can't speak English"
"a leetle," the man muttered.
Where did you work."
New York"
What street,"
The Jew looked bewildered. but
finally answered. "Bleecker street"
The commissi ioner said TO us.
aside. "They often lie; this man has
probably never been in New York"
Turing to him again he asked,
Name some other streets in New
York"
The Jew became pretty nervous
by this time, but he did succeed in
remembering several.
That will do. believe he's tell
Ing the truth. after all. He may
have been all right FIVE years ago
when they let him in, but the doc
tors papers say he is in very poor
physical condition now. and he GER
tainly looks a miserable specimen.
He goes back. Send in the next"
Entered an Italian family-father.
mother, and eight children. A few
questions, and their case had been
decided.
ITS no use bothering with them.
= They have no friends here. The
father and mother are both broken
down in health, they have only $24
between them, and there are eight
children. all under sixteen years of
age. Ship them back. 1t is time
to stop such people-the steamship
agents are so tricky, and they send
such poor creatures. ! am return
ing per cent this month to give
the agents a good lesson and let
them know I am cleaning up this
place. BY the way, I've already
caught two or three officials steal
ing from these poor, ignorant peo-
pie"
The next appeal was interesting.
showing up as 1t did the frauds
which steamship agents would per-
petrate whenever they got a chance.
The immigrant was a German, and
the court had thought the case an
agents trick. Turning to the man
he asked in German, "Who gave
you the money to come over"
1T was my own; l saved it," the
man answered.
Have you friends here'"
Children"
Going to them"
The man didn't answer
Don't you understand. You're Ger
man, aren't you?"
The immigrant nodded. ITO
friend first"
"Is IL an old friend OF yours you
plan to go to? What's his name?"
.'Yes. old friend--name written
on paper" He tried to get it out
of his pocket. but the Commission
er interrupted
DO you mean to say you don't
know your old friends name? Who
gave you that address? he de-
manded sternly; "where did you get
it?"
The man faltered. Got it in Eu-
rope"
Bremen
! yes"
; who gave it to YOU
The German, staring stupidly at
him, refused to answer.
at was a ships agent" accused
the Commissioner: WAS his name
Louis Strauss?"
The immigrant admitted that it
was; and IL eventually came out
that he had neither friend nor chill
dren in New York, and that the
agent had put him up to the whole
thing. The Commissioner said he
was tired of this agent business,
and instructed his clerk to make a
note of the case.
'I suppose you think I'm hard on
them" he went on; "of course they
are pretty we'll frightened by the
time they reach met is long
ordeal for them. At first they are
so happy to reach shore after the
trip. all huddled together in the
hold of the steamer, that the land
seems very pleasant. They think
it is a new and wonderful country
where they are soon going to live
in palaces and dress like kings.
Their sacks of household things
rest lightly on their shoulders as
they walk ashore. laughing and
chattering gsyly. But when they
disembark. they are driven like
cattle into pens. and families are
sometimes divided--that is unfor-
tunate, but necessary-and doctors
turn their eye-lids inside out, and
ask the most personal questions. IL
IL hard for them. but we have to