The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-02-21
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC J. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, d. O.
THE IMNuGRANT AND THE eUoTA

! Washington, D. c., Feb. 17.-That
stories of families separated by the
/ immigration quota law are largely ex-
aggregation was explained to the writer
( by Mr.. w. w. Husband, commissioned
general of immigration today.
TT has been the policy of the de-
partment," said Mr.. Husband, mot to
separate families. In no case has a
/ small child been sent back to his ma
tive country without his parents or a
guardian. And even larger children
| who are debarred are not allowed to
go back without a relative or some
substitute guardian authorized by the
family.
eYet numerous stories are printed
and circulated to the effect that this
family of immigrants and that has
been separated because one member
was ineligible for admission under the
quota law and must go back alone.
The name of the family and details of
the case give these stories an aspect
of being undeniably true. The trou-
BILE with them is that they are only
half truths"
Mr.. Husband gave as an example
the case of a Major Boyd and his fam
lily. The major, an Australian who
fought at Gallipol, came to this coun-
try before the quota law went into
effect. Then his wife, born in Eng
land, came to join him, bringing their
four children, all Australians. The
Australian quota was exhausted, while
the English was not The children
were paroled, however, and allowed to
! spend the night with their mother at
a. hotel. Next day they went to Ellis
Island and after the case was re-
viewed the family was allowed to pro-
coed to California. 1t was decided to
admit the children temporarily as
students since all were between 10 and
II years of age.
The Boyd story as the public read
it conveyed an entirely different i'm
preston of the handling of the case.
1t said: "A mother was allowed to
land, but immigration restrictions
barred her four children when the
liner Finland locked here yesterday.
Mrs. Boyd refused to leave her
children and steps to have them ad-
mitted were taken"
The quota law uses the country of
birth rather than the complicated and
confusing naturalization laws as
basis for determining nationality.
Thus, man born in Russia and mar
ried to a woman born in Poland may
bring to this country a family of chill
dren born in England. At present, the
Russian and English quotas have not
been filled and the man and children
are received. But the Polish quota is
exhausted.
''In such cases. says Mr.. Husband,
"the> whole family is held for a board
of special inquiry and the case is re-
viewed. The Polish wife is not sepa-
rated from her family, and there is no
suggestion of this being done, but the
| story of this first act of the drama
attracts attention and is printed. The
public learns that a Polish mother is
/, debarred from this country and her
children and husband have been adj
mitted. This is abstractly true, but in
actual fact there has been no separa-
ton.
Cases Decided on Their Merits.
1.-THE board of special inquiry goes
, into the case and Anakes its decision
Perhaps the mother is admitted-1,743
l immigrants have been admitted in ex-
+, cess of the quotas in just such cases as
; this. We have admitted them simply
, to avoid doing what people think we
l have been doing-separating mothers
= from children.
''These immigrants in excess of the
quota limitations have been tempo
rarily admitted in order to prevent
: undue hardship. They are placed I'M
r der bond to return to their own coun-
tries if Congress does not pass legis-
lation allowing them to stay perma-
2 nently. 1t would be almost impossible
9 to gather up these 1,743 immigrants
from all parts of the country to de-
port them. 1t is hoped that congress
Y will legislate to settle satisfactorily
l
, the quota law did not anticipate"
Mr.. Husband points out that the
quota law is new and that these cases
t represent the main hitch in the law as
9 it stands. The department has tried
to Sreat these exceptional cases with
2 fairness. 1t has even, he says, been
: over sympathetic in a good many
: instances. The case of one Scotch
boy, while not quota case, illustrates
the departments hesitancy to cause
s hardship.
i This boy" Mr.. Husband explained,
q was widely known as cripple in &C
counts of his case. In reality he was
= an imbecile-he was so certified by a
times. He should, therefore, have
been sent back to Europe at once
: when his mother came here with him
/. a year ago to join his father.
T But friends were aroused and pres
sure was brought to bear on the de-
" partment to admit the boy for a visit.
e The department expressed the opinion
that it would be best for all concerned
for the boy to go back at once.
| zone bureau of immigration letter
in the voluminous correspondence
G said in part:
1T is a distressing thing to de-
= port a child in the present situation,
J; butrit would be still more distressing
{ and a prolongation of the agony to
+ tear him fromfthe parental roof, once
Il admitted, and return him to Scotland
t But eventually the departm ent
= agreed to admit him for a years visit
e When the year was up, not long ago
e he had to go back, and as the depart
= men had foreseen. the separation was
worse than it would have been at first
:. THE friends of alien families are
e naturally eager to have them admitted
e and they do not always understand
= why an individual is barred when the
a quota of his country is not filled. They
e say. oh. he could not read, and SO he
n h. ok When they write tt
y US and we look into the case we FIND
that the immigrant had tuberculosis
n or he was insane, or an imbecile, OIL
= for some other serious reason was ex-
= pressly debarred by the present law
e Only congress can change such restric
0 tons which are for the protection Of
"a this country
@ Quota Law Seems Satisfactory.