Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-05
BY FREDERICK A. WALLIS,
Commissioner Of Immigration for the
Port of New York.

u II ORE than three thousand i'm
MI migrants are coming into
Ellis Island almost daily
More than one million will be
The count for the fiscal year. 1920
1921. More than ten million are now
waiting in various parts of war
stricken Europe to swarm to the
United States as soon as they can
obtain transportation. ..
These millions are not immigrants
in the strict sense Of the term. Many
of them are refugees-refugees from
lands that have been harassed and
torn by war and treason for six
years; refugees from countries that
offer them little now but discomfort.
dissension. unhappiness, impoverished
living conditions and disease.
These millions are looking to the
United States as their promised land;
their haven of relief; their asylum.
The greater number perhaps are mi
grating with the full thought of be-
coming law-abiding, self-supporting'
Industrious citizens. They are coming
with smiling faces and with arms
outstretched in duplication to the
arms that are willing to give them
welcome-if they are worthy Of citi-
xenship or domicile.
vital to Welfare.
Their coming is growing every day
moro vital to the welfare Of the
country. National interest is awaken
ing to the tremendous Importance OF
finding a solution of this problem.
Just Recently I was visited by COM
mittee Of the National Association OF
Manufacturers, which is making an
exhaustive investigation Of every
phase Of the immigration question.
understand this committee will sub
init . comprehensive and practicai
measure that not emily VIII regulate
immigration. but distribute 1t IN ag-
ricultural and Industrial territories
vhere IL Is SO greatly needed and
whore Il may best be absorbed. I be-
Ievs no greater public service can De
performed by our prominent and able
business men than by taking q vg-
orous interest In this problem which
IS becoming moro a9e more complex
with each shipload Of immigrants.
I am told by: persons Of unques-
toned authority from Europe that AZ
least eight million emigrants are
ready to come here from certain
country as soon as peace is declared
Snd the way is made clear. From
personal Information have received
I am Inclined to believe there are
more like fifteen millions OF people
clamoring to come to America Many
Thousands Of them already have
bought steamship tickets and are
merely awaiting word that transpor-
tatiou has been provided Armies OF
this nationality are ready to come
through Holland Even Holland is
losing Thousands upon thousands Of
What they are pleased to call their
best type Of working people, who are
coming to this country to get away
from the spirit Of unrest and turmoil
tH8x h38 PSxmeAtSo THO "uSAo CuAV
pean fabric. am told authoritatively
that three ana half million Italians
are demanding passage to this coun-
try ana that hundreds Of thousands
are On the steamships' lists. am in
clinsA to believe the actual figure is
mucA greater than three and q half
milnsns- Further. I am told that half
. uaIlion Poles are headed this way.
The British ships ire bringing in
Thousands Of Scotch. English. Irish
and Welsh. What win happen when
tho bars Of Russia are let down can
only be guessed. Thousands upon
thSueands Of steamship tickets have
been issued and in tho hands Of in
tending emigrsnts for from two to
five years. And there Is no indication
that this westward Hood Of humanity
is to come to any sudden halt.
Urges Congress to Act.
What are we to do about this ire
mendous influx? That is the most
pressing, the most important and the
most vital question before the coun-
try today. Congress must look to the
situation at once. We must take vi