The Caledonian-record. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1920-current, 1922-12-11


hea douarters in Switzerland.
When he had got that working
he went up to Copenhagen in 1913
and established another prisoner
relief base. He was the third
American into Berlin after the
Armistice, and his work there was
the repatriation of American prls-
oners of war. He had practically
all of them out by January l,
1919; so the British, who rarely
care to turn to Americans for as
sistance, asked him to figure out
a method Of getting the British
prisoners out of Germany. He did
this, and the British accepted the
method and handed Husband the
official thanks of His Majesty's
government. Thee he went back
to Copenhagen to establish a
base OF supplies for the feeding
Of Russian prisoners in Germany,
after which he slowly wandered
home, where he was content to
rest easy and do a little organiza
ton work for the Red Cross.
As soon as the Republican Adj
minish'ation begin to function on
March 4, 1921, it found the coun-
try at large writing letters to re-
representatives., senator's, cabinet
ministers and what not, asking in
no uncertain terms, Well, what
are you going to do about immi-
gration?" The Administrations
logical and business move was to
put the man who knew the most
about immigration in the position
where he could do the most good.
1t therefore made William Walter
Husband Commissioner General
of migration on March i, 1921,
which was snGppy and commend
able work.
Congressman and d good many
other people have been heard to
say that the position of Commits
sioner General of immigration is
one of the most difficult jobs in
the government service, and for
this reason: There are some thirty
things for which aliens may be re-
fused admission to the United
States, None the less, a great
many aliens who have one or
more of these things the matter
with them are constantly attempt
ing to get in, and somehow they
are able to enlist many strong
forces in their behalf. Usually, in
such cases, the Commissioner Gen
eral of immigration is obliged to
withstand the onslaughter of these
forces. which is difficult. And for
another reason, the immigration
service deals entirely with human
beings, who have TO be or ought
TO be treated as such. Sometimes,
because of the huge and unthink
iSg machine at Ellis Island, they
aren't treated as such, and then
hell is to pay. In such cases the
immigration service is discredited,
and the Commissioner General,
who is not to blame is the recipient
Of many brisk kicks.
Like every other unprecedented
and experienced immigration cX
pert, Commissioner General knows
that the only good immigration
law is the law that admits only
the immigrants that a country
needs. Back in 1910 he evolved the
scheme of admitting immigrants
on q percentage basis as means
of. temporarily restricting immi-
gTdtion Some of1his ideas have be-
come law, butynot all of them. He
periodically tells the Senate and
the House that certain amend
ments are needed to make the law
a little better, and periodically the
Senate and the House accept a
few OF his suggestions and discard
.thc rest. They work largely on
theory and hearsay, while Hus-
band works entirely on experience.
Individually the members of the
Senate and the House Immigra-
ton committees see the value of
his recommendations and agree
with them. Collectively they do not
see them and viii not agree with
them. .p
Fortunately Commissioner Cen
eral Husband was trained in Dur
KEGS General&Storc in Sheldon,
Vermont, where he had to sit up
every night until the gabby bores
went home, 20 that he could blow
out the lights. ,le is a patient
waltcr-and neeas to be.