Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1921-03-18
HOPE THROTTLED
And HATE IS BRED
AT ELLIS ISLAND
Whole Immigrant Sys-
tenn Breaks Down
Conditions Terrible
BY E. M. THlERRY

NEW YORK, March 1S.-GoVern-
ment officials, city health authorities
and volunteer welfare organizations
are in open warfare over conditions
at Ellis Island, the greatest port Of
entry for immigrants in the coun-
try.
DR.. Royal S. Copeland, New York
health commissioner, brands Ellis Is
land "disease-ridden plague hatch
cry and dangerous menace" He
makes the fiat statement that immi-
grants gather more germs at Ellis
Island than they bring there.
Immigrants tell you they are treat.
ed like cattle.
Welfare workers tell the same
story. They cite instances of i'll
treatment, neglect, filth, inadequate
accommodations and incompetence
that seem hardlv believable.
officials themselves tell you the
same thing. For the whole system
at Ellis Island has broken down
There is an open rupture. Officials
blame each other. Everybody passes
the buck
80 Per Cent Enter There
Eighty per cent of all immigrants
that come to America pass through
this island, that lies in the shadow of
the Statue of Liberty in New York
haIbor
These future Americans entering
Americas doorway step into an at
mcsphere of carelessness and callous-
ness, into quarters that are filthy and
disease breeding, into the hands of
an incompetent official system.
Go down to Ellis Island You will
find:
Immigrants herded like cattle in
the ill-ventilated fetid detention
70 om
No separate quarters provided for
mothers with babes in arms.
Velmin on the walls and floors
of detention room and in dormitories
Immigrants forced to sleep indis.
crlmlnately two in bed or on the
floors.
Only LOO beds, though the over.
night population averages 1000 To
5000 and often as high as 500
NO mattresses for beds-only
blankets spread over strips of steel;
hunks built in tiers, three high,
Water supply SO contaminated.
due to break in main, that officials
will not drink it.
only SIX bath tubs for use of all
the women and small children.
No bath tubs for men; thousands
forced to use 16 shower baths.
Lavatories so inadequate that
they are menace to health.
Many wash basins on upper floors
without water supply.
Only two pumps, with low water
pressure, inadequate against fire.
Many immigrants forced to wait
weeks because affidavits and even
money sent by relatives had been
lost.
Faults GIaring.
Faults at Ellis Island are so glar
ing and their after-effect so PERM.
clous-and so many are responsible
that several separate investiga
tions are now in progress.
And the immigrant, cringing fear
fully in the muddle he finds clog.
ging the doorway to America, is the
victim. He comes full of hope: he
often leaves the island full of hate.
Everybody is fighting about the
immigrant. In many quarters he's
regarded as a sort of seml-savages |
. This is on the general theory that |
all immigrants are ignorant peasants |
which they are not.
The outstanding ruptures at Ellis |
Island are between Commissioner
Wallis, in charge at the Island, and |
Mrs. Helen Bastedo, director of well |
fare, and between Wallis and DR..
Copeland.
Mrs Bastedo, who represents IS
welfare organization blames Wallis !,
She has declared war on him.
DR.. Copeland also blames Wallis. |
He says the latter has barred him
and all city health authorities from
Ellis Island.
Mrs. Harry NJ. Bremmer, execu
tive secretary of the Y. w. C. A. i
divisional work for the foreign born /
blames the entire American. immi |
grafton system.
So does Mrs. L. Fox Lee, assistant !
in charge of Y. W. G. A. welfare
workers at Ellis Island. Both con
denim it's filth, inefficiency and red
tape. ..
Byron H. Uhl, assistant immigra.
ton commission, blames Congress
for not providing sufficient money,
lie says money is withheld although
the immigration service actually IS
self-supporting.
And Commissioner Wallis himself
admits Ellis Island conditions are
very bad.