The herald., 1922-09-07

Must Land Before the Quotas for
Their Respective Nationalities Are
Filled, so Vessels Wait Outside New
York Harbor Until Midnight When
the Bars Are Let Down for Another
Month-Quotas Of Africa, Palestine,
Greece, Albania and Armenia Filled.
Racing across the Atlantic toward
the gates Of the United States, scores
of huge ocean liners have been break
ing all speed records in q effort to
land their cargOes of human freight
before the immigration bars 90 up
again. These races mean freedom to
the fleeing hOrdes from war-torn and
poverty stricken Europe and Asia, pro-
vided they can land before the quota
for their particular nationality is filled
Otherwise, they must return again to
the land from which they fed, their
earnings spent, and with the chance
for freedom in the land of promise
barred to them.
While the big rush of immigrants be
down after an almost complete stop
page of immigration, II continues to a
lesser degree each month, and will
continue until the annual quotas are
filed. July l opened fresh page and
every steamship company broke all
records to land as many immigrants
as possible. Then the bars went up
for month until August /, when the
race was continued, and the first of
each succeeding month will see the
! same mad rush to enter the gates of
the promised land, until word comes
is filled, and then there will be no
admissions until July /, 1923.
Determined by Quotas.
Americas present immigrant policy
allows to enter every year as immi-
grants only three per cent Of the ma
tives of any one country resident in
the United States at the time of tie
census OF 1910. The quota for 1922,
the fiscal year ending June 80, was
almost completely filed In the first
five months, there being a provision
that 20 per cent Of the yearly quota
may be admitted each month until the
| quota has been filed. Hence, since that
time the bars had been up and immi-
grafton had been at a standstill. But
July meant another year, and another
quota.
Already the quotas Of Africa, Pales-
l,,A ha, I'D
"other Asia" are filed. For a month
no more natives Of these countries will
be admitted, and then will start a new
rush. In fact, steamships on the other
side Of the Atlantic are preparing their
sailing schedules so that they may slip
In as soon as the bars are again lifted.
Arriving on this side, the ships lie
outside the harbor until after midnight
on the day when the bars are let down,
and then comes the last and most eX-
citing dash to land their passengers at
quarantine, where the immigrant
leaves the vessel and boards one Of the
huge barges which stand alongside to
take them to Ellis Island.
Examined at Ellis Island.
Ellis Island, the gateway to America,
Is the borderland to the immigrant.
Once past the island, and all is well,
but to many Ellis Island is their one
glimpse of the promised land. Nearly
every nationality under the sun may
be found at the island, either newly
arrived or else being held for observa-
ton. A veritable babel Of tongues is
heard, for few of the immigrants are
so frightened by the strangeness of
their new surroundings that they can
not talk.
At Ellis Island the immigrants are
classified and tagged, and undergo a
most searching physical, mental. and
financial examination. Dreaded typhus,
\ trachoma, and other diseases are care.
fully guarded against, and any immi-
grant showing the slightest symptom Of
any of these diseases is Immediately
| barred. A staff of trained physicians
and nurses is constantly on duty to
guard against any one with communica-
BILE diseases slipping in.
| Uncle Sam Is also very particular
about the financial resources OF the
aliens who are constantly knocking
at the gates, and unless they can prove
that they will not become public
charges they are refused admittance.
Many, using their life savings to pay
for their transportation, and not know
ing Of the stringent rulings. are turned
back, to begin life all over again In
the towns which they had hoped to
leave far behind them.
Mentality tests are no less severe. so.
even though the vessel carrying him
does win the race, the immigrant is
never sure that he will walk past the
gates into the promised land until he
has passed the tests at Ellis Island
and pronounced fit to become a citizen
Of the United States.
Many Brides Arrive.