The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-02

New York, Dec. lin a few days
Jackie Schumacher, a little IL
year-old cripple boy. must go back
alone to Scotland. All of Jackie's
family, who r devoted to him,
live in White Plains, N. Y, and he
hasn't a single relative or friend
left in his native country. Never
theless, he must go back. Ameri-
can immigration officials have said
So
Jaekie's father, accompanied by
an elder son and daughter, came to
this country from Scotland soon
after the war ended. Mrs. Schu-
macher and Jackie. with another
boy and girl. did not arrive in New
York until the early part of 1920.
immigration officials Immediately
raised an objection to Jackie's ad-
mittance upon the ground that he
was a defective, and detained him
at Ellis island.
Through the aid of friends and
the good Offices of a congressman,
the family was able to obtain the
boys release by filing a bond guar
anteeing that he would not become
a. public charge. Later this bond
was extended. Still the matter was
not permanently settled. The fam
lily was constantly haunted by the
fear that eventually Jackie would
have to go; that an immigration
officer would come and get him.
Several months ago Mrs. Schu-
macher died. The doctor who at
tended her said that her death was
due to constant fear and worry
over the fate of her SON.
And now that fate has come. A
general roundup of detectives was
recently ordered by the immigra-
ton authorities, and Jackie is only
one of a large number of fOrlOrn
human beings who are to be dis
posed of in the usual cold-blooded,
arbitrary manner at Ellis island.
On the list of undesirables await
ing deportation are likewise moth
ers and infants who will be torn
from their families now residing in
this country: husbands and faith
ers, prevented by various technic-
alities from joining their families
here, and mentally and physically
defective children who are to be
cast back upon lands where they
no longer have homes.
The blame for this cruel and in
human treatment of aliens does not
belong to our immigration officials.
They have no personal influence or
authority and merely act as autOm-
atoms in carrying out the immigra-
ton laws. Neither does the blame
lie in the laws, which are neces-
sary evils for the protection of the
nation from large masses of unde-
sirable citizens. But blame must
descend upon a government which
fails to provide the ean to set
aside the laws when it is seen that
in individual cases they cause In
tolerable hardship.
Relentless Law.
Even the secretary of labor Is
virtually ~poWerless to interfere
with the immigration machinery,
once it is set in motion. The late
/ Secretary of Labor Wilson went
about as far as he could when he
issued the following instructions to
immigration officials:
while regulation and exclusion,
q Lu lIe1 elOtS uStCAItACAit /
sary in respect of immigration he
said. lit should be understood by
all who participate in administer
ing these laws that they are not
intended to be ~penalizing. 1t is
I with no unfriendlinecs to aliens
that immigrants are detained and
some of them excluded. but solely
for the protection of our own peO-
pie and our own institutions. In
difference. then, to the physical or
mental comfort of these wards OF
ours from other lands should not
be tolerated"
That these instructions r not
always carefully observed is evil
denced by the numerous complaints
that have arisen ON that score. In
! deed. they have recently become so
| v~ociferous that the British govern
| ment. we are informed, has filed a
| protest with our state department
| The immigration officials claim that
they do all they can to minimize
the necessary hardships inflicted