New-York tribune., 1920-12-19

distributed among the Atlantic coast
por+s, centers largely ON Ne* York
City and congesas the immigration
service.
y ann in Europe to study conditions
and SEQ whether we shall initiate Q
large scale investigation Of emigration
RS It affects the United States. i shall
visit all the countries OF western
Europe TO study conditions st the
source. There are many new questions
| 70 be solved RnG new eieus. ions lnust
be met with new means"
Little Restriction I'm United States
Many American officials in Euroue
believe that come form Of regulation
should be adopted. At the present
time there is little restriction upon
Immigration in the United Stated. The
Immigrant must have about $46, ex-
eepe in certain cases. He must be
physically fit. He must not be GRIM
inal. He must be able to read. Nc
contract laborers, persons liable TO be-
come public charges or stowawaya are
admitted. All these stipulat;ons, how
ever, have elastic and limiting c!auses.
The examinations at the port Of
entry often are perfunctory. The
immigrants word ie taken st face
value. He says ne has no disease, that
hc has never committed s crime and
| has some money. If he mas The pass
port Of foreign government, can r.sd
and has no obvioue disease, ne gets in.
ao may be tuburcular and nlay have
crimina! record. 4 forged passport ie
not an possibility.
During tho wSr, however, the PASS
port viss eystem wee highly developed,
and may De . solution Of tn. problem.
Of selecting desirSbl. immigrants.
After the immigrant hss obtained
passport from his Owr government ne
must 60 to the American consulste for
wise or stamp. A. this time an op-
portunity is provided for an investiga-
ton Of the applicant by the American
authorities. They can then determine
Immediately whether he is q desirable
future citizen, and II not, can solve tho
problem At it's source rather than take
e chsnce that he will get in through
lack Of euftacient information by the
authorities in New York, or else be de-
tanned. there snd ultimately deported.
the yise systera is gopd one" says
Robert p Skinner, Unitedt States Con
sui General At London. I'VE have the
right 70 know whether Ynsn Is physi-
cslly and morally eound. But we are
now working in the dark Our inmi-
gla tion authorities at the port Of ar
rsvl must take the immigrants word.
We should haye this information 1t
Che place whence ne started.
Consists Lack Power
"1he information is easy 20 GET
Every European government has an
elaborate system OF keeping tabs on it's
people. In France each .nau has his
Caster Judicia.e,' his Identification
records. Every continental country
does the same thing. This Informs
ton Is availablc to us, but at present
there is no lsw which definitely au-
thorizes The Consular service, which
handles would-be Immigrants abroad,
20 make these Investigations.
I'VE do make irvestigstions to elini-
nate undcsirables, but there 10 no eu-
shcrizat:on FOR our closely scrutini2-
ing sne record Of every applicant Il
is beet TO etcp these people at the
source, where the facts concerning
them are easily obtainable, but 81
though che Consular service now Mas
the operative .aschinsHy to do tnis we
do not Nave full io,:ers"
Meanwhilc the hood goes on.
Twenty-Five Thousand persons left the
British Isles in the three months end
i:ls September 90: 1000 of them from,
London alone. Across the Channel, in
I'll. impoverished lands OF sJestern
Europe, 25,ooo,0oo more are waiting
to go