The New York herald., 1922-07-02
GREEK SHIP FAILS
IN RACE FOR PORT
King Alexander With Aliens
Aboard May Be Astray
in Fog.
MAY ARRIVE TOO LATE
Foreigners Will Be Barred
From U. S. if Other Ships
Have Filled Quota.
MAY ARRIVE TOO LATE

The dense fogS prevented yesterday
the great alien rusn for Ellis Island
and admission 10 the United States.
The Greek steamship King Alexander.
carrying more than 500 aliens, had been
reported for two days as literally
racing against time so that she might
land her aliens. who numerically repre-
sented almost 20 per cent of the yearly
quota for Greece, but tshe did not ar
rive Reports last night were that the
vessel had become lost in the fog and
probably would reach port to-day.
In the meanwhile other vessels from
southern European ports arrived with
Greeks in their steerage. thereby Great
ing a possibility that some of the Kins
AleXander's passengers may be turned
back by the immigration authorities
Their rejection, IL such develops, would
be under the mot more than 20 per
cent of the yearly quota in one month
provision of the law. 1t all depends
on how many Greeks the vessels that
arrived yesterday carried across the
Atlantic. and there was no way last
night of ascertaining just how many
there were.
$4,000 Aliens Expected.
Ellis Island literally was on edge
waiting for what it expected would be
the greatest alien rush in its history
Records of the steamship companie;
show that total of 10000 passengers
would arrive yesterday, to-day and to-
morrow. with the prospect that at least
1000 of them would be aliens seeking to
take advantage of the opening of new
quotas for another fiscal year. Robert
f Tod. Commissioner of immigration
had every available inspector. interpre-
ter. guard and matron on hand, but the
day passed without the rush developing
In the late afternoon, when the fog
had lifted sufficiently to permit the
vessels that had been tied up at Quar-
antine to make their piers, aliens begar
to arrive at the island, but not In the
numbers anticipated Commissioner Toe
issued instructions that the island be
kept open to-day and that every employed
be at his post. Mr.. Tod hopes to pas:
the majority of the new arrivals to-day
There were only 1900 aliens trans
ferred to the island during the Afternoon
and of these 500 were detained fol-
further questioning. The island ha:
sleeping accommodations for $1,000. so
1t was stated IL the same ratio Of de
tentions Is maintained to-day and to
morrow the immigration will bt
crowded to capacity by Tuesday iGorn
ing.
New Appeal Board Arrives.
Meanwhile the members oof the new
appeal board appointed by the Secretar,
Of Labor arrived on Ellis Island. ex
recting to begin their duties on the be
ginning of the new fiscal year. The.
are George j. Harris. former Assistant
Supervising Inspector for the Mexican
border George w. Bope. of the Labo
Department, and Thomas Thomas
former immigration Inspector in charg
! of the Cincinnati territory.
There was some doubt as to exactl,
what powers this new board woult
have at Ellis Island. whether it woul,
be authorized by the Secretary Of Labo
to act in vicarian way for himself II
the exercise of the almost autocrati
discretionary powers vested In him. o
whether the members could only max
suggestions or recommendations,
function hitherto performed by Com
missioner Tod and his assistant com
missioners. 1t took some time to ge
! explanations from the bureau and de
| partment heads in Washington over tn
long distance telephone. In fact. Com
| missioner Tod said late in the Afternoon
that he could only say in a general wa
that he and the new board would co
| operate in every way possible I
Smooth down the angularities arisin
under the enforcement of the Dilling
ham act" In cases where families ar
parted by the 3 per cent law. or man
datory exclusion. the Commissioner an
the new board will endeavor to preven
delays by uniting upon a humane In
terpretation of the law.