The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-12-01
15,O00,OOOALENS
CLAMOR TO SAIL
FOR REFUGE HERE
IL Steamship Lines Over
whelmed With Demand
for Tickets.
OVERRUN BIG PORTS
Eager to Get Rid of
Its Criminal and Help
less Classes.
WALLIS TO URGE ACTION
Ellis Island 0vercrOwded and
1000 There Are Unfit 10
Enter Country.
WALLIS TO URGE ACTION

Seventeen representatives of trans.
atlantic steamship lines have reported
to Frederick A. Wallis. Commissioner
of Immigration at Ellis Island, that
5000, 900 Europeans-men, women and
children Of all social and economic
classifcations and representing every
old end every new Government in Eu-
rope-are clamor!ng for immediate
passage to America. They are swamp
ing foreign offices seeking passports.
They are overwhelming steamship
agencies. They are Offering double
prices for tickets and are willing TO
travel on any sort of a vessel that can
make the trip. And at least 80 per
cent of them would fail to pass their
entrance examination.
The seaport cities and towns on the
western and southern coasts of Europe
are thronged with bewildered peasants
who have sold everything they pos
sessed or have received money from
relatives in America. The European
Governments fearing everything from
revolution to invasion, and utterly
suspicious of every neighbor. are max
ing desperate efforts to hold back their
able bodied males OF military age and
the young women who can work in
the fields and shops and otherwise save
their respective countries by produo.
ing future generations.
Some OF these countries are refusing
passports to such desirable citizens and
are gladly issuing papers to radicals,
criminals. the aged and impotent. France
and England alone OF the big nations
are manaring to mold their people by
sheer loya y. Denmark, Sweden, Nor
way, Holland and the Netherlands are
still on an even Keel and have their emi-
grafton situations In hand.
Teuton Hoard Awaits Peace.
But Italy, Poland. the new Slav States
Spain. Portugal, Serbia. Turkey. Arme-
mia, Russia, Belgium and the remains OF
the defunct Central Powers are in dam
ger of all but total depopulaton. Ger
mans and Austrians are merely waiting
to hear that the United States is at
peace with their governments They are
all packed up-at least 100000 or
them. The lack Of steamships Is the
only barrier to their path to America
for their governments, realizing that
nothing In Europe can hold these peo-
pie. are willing to let them go and count
It a good riddance.
with these and many other facts per-
tanning thereto. Mr.. Wallis leaves for
Washington tonight for n conference
with members of the House and Senate
committees on Immigration.
1T Is difficult to talk about the pres
ent situation" Mr.. Wallis declared last
night, "because such are the facts that
you are posted as n sensationalist and
hysterical. But know these facts
al this minute all records are being
broken. Eighty-seven per cent Of our
Immigrants enter America through FL
lis Island. There are more than 1000
men. women and children housed here
tonight and they are shamefully
crowded. 1t would be wrong to deny II.
We are doing our best. But we lack
room. What is to become of US here on
Ellis Island in 1921 If. as the steamship
men assure is. ten years of Immigration
is liable to be crammed into those twelve
months? II can't be done. There are
four bills 10 be introduced into Congress
aimed at remedial measures. I hope
that anything / can say will spur Con-
aress to haste. Would II amaze you to
know that on one particular day that
know OF the Polish Foreign office had
31i 900 applications for passports?
I'VE are getting splendid men and
women from Holland. the Netherlands,
the Scandinavian countries. Czecho-slo-
vakia and Jugo-Slovakia. They are
farmers and want to go TO farming local
ities. We need them. However, tho
Ylddish predominate In the present IN
iux, and they are being taken IN charge
by their friends and relatives in the cities
and towns. The Yiddish are coming In
great numbers from Poland. Poland Is
sending us more people at present than
any other country.
1000 Unat to Enter.
There are at least 900 persons here
now who must 90 back. our hospital
ia filled with the sick. There arc many
infectious diseases--diseases that can be
traced 10 personal uncleanlIness, TO hor-
ribly unsanitary conditions in their home
lands. to malnutrition, improper and In
sufficient food. and so on. II would
amaze you 10 see the number Of diseased
people seeking admittance. d.
1T is utter rot to say that any per-
centage of any nationality are coming
here carrying cards OF membership In
revolutionary societies. Naturally, they
carry no such cards. They deny affilia-
tion with radical organizations. They
are not fools They want 20 enter
America. But we can't read their minds.
'Not until we subject them to rigid
tests at the ports or ombarkation ana
checking tests here will we be in COM
mand OF the situation. However, this Is
but theory. To return to the immediate
menace--overwhe numbers-we are
looking forward, In more or less OF n
panic, to a tremendous winter invasion.
For this year alone we shall exceed the
million mark before January 1. and all
records are going 20 bo shattered from
January on