Pueblo chieftain., 1921-01-28
BY FREDERIC ]. HAsK1N

Washington, u. c., Jan. 25.-Any-
where from ten million to twenty-five
million people, according to various
estimates, are literally standing In Inc
in Europe waiting for chance TO
come to America. according 10 Com
missioner of Immigration Wallis OF
New York.
Mr.. wallis recently gave the Senate
Committee on immigration succlnct
and startling account of tho immisra-
ton situation. of which only a rev
words have heretofore been publish
ed. The gist of his facts are there
fore here set forth.
In Danzig he says that people arc
standing in line by thousands to get
on the bohts, and that they are camp
ed all about the port of embarkation,
waiting their turns. The steamship
companies report that they are offer
ed ten times as much business as they
can handle. Most of these immi-
grants have sold everything they pos
sessod in order to raise enough money
to pay for passage to this country. and
to have enough money to be admittea
when they arrive. They pay from
s11O to $3.50 for a storage passage
to the United States. which is more
than IL first class passage cost rev
years ago. The immigrant carrying
business is said to be very remunera-
tive to tho steamship companies.
Many OF the immigrants tell OF be-
ing robbed at the port of embarka-
ton. They are forced to check all of
their personal belongings while TAX
ing n bath, and afterward they say
they are unable to recover them, the
checks not being honored. There are
also tales of women and girls being
dragged out OF line and robbed.
The result is that when the immi-
grant arrives in the United States he
does not have sufficient money to be
admitted to this country, as the law
provides that he cannot be admitted
IL he is likely to become public
charge. on one ship carrying perhaps
thousand immigrants there were
several hundred that had less thar
one dollar each In money. Many of
them. from regions infested with
typhus, wear clothes so flimsy that
these clothes will not stand the dis
injecting process thru which they
must be put
Cosgestion At Ellis Island
Most Of these destitute immigrants
claim that they expect money here
from friends. relatives or societies.
and most of them arc. in the course
of time. rescued by some of their
compatriots in this country. But
| meantime they must be cared for at
Isills lslahQ. 1He lsidhO Ilas Ho at-
comm odat,ons for such swarm OF
people. They are compelled to sleep
on tho floors. and until recently many
of them had to sleep without blankets
There arc no adequate toilet facilities
or facilities OF any other kind.
Furthermore. these almost destitute
people land In n country tho language
of which they cannot speak. and in
a city which is already full of un-
employed persons, and which has
bread lines. There is practically nc
machinery for placing these people In
Jobs. Mr.. Wallis reported several
asking for immigrant labor at good
wages. But he has no authority &c
establish or to act as an employment,
agency. He believes that the Labor
Department is now taking somc steps
TO distribute these immigrant laborcrs
where they are needed. but docs moi
know what funds they have for the
purpose. CAS- n matter OF fact. they
have practically none. The United
States Employment Service. since ,hs
Armistice. has been reduced to a
skeleton organixation.)
Mr.. Wallis does not believe that the
situation is to be relieved by tho pas
sage of n law like the johnson Bill
prohibiting all immigration. with Ger.
tain exceptions. such as tho blood re-
latives of those already here, for .
wear Hc believes that the cxccp-
tons. and the frauds which would ma,
turally grow out OF them. would more
than fill the boats,-that We would
get about tho samc amount of immi-
grafton. but that it would conns
dependents. He seems to believe thai