New Britain herald., 1923-12-13
NARROWING SCENES
 AT ELLIS ISLAND
New York Official Tells ROtarianS
 of a Nation'S Responsibility

Abuse and i'll treatment of immi-
 grants at Ellis Island is making anar-
 chists and criminals of those who
 come to our shores, according to
 Frederick A. Wallis, commissioner of
 missioner and commissioner of the
 port of New York, at the Rotary club
 meeting today.
 Over 100 men attended the lun-
 cheon of the Rotary club when Elm
 ployer and Employee" day was ob-
 served. Members of the Lions club
 were present also as guests
 MT. Wallis spoke of the problems of immigration. He said. "the great
 est problem is not immigration, it is the immigrant. .'The first impress sions we give the people who come to our shores may nfake them the best of citizens or turn them into anar- chists over night" he declared.
 H spoke of government and other officials who show over officiousness ;.nd how much of that he found when Investigating conditions on Ellis Is- land. T love the uniform but when it is being used for some low. vile, selfish object, I say it is time to rip it off and give it to some one who realizes and appreciates its sanctity."
 He described in indignant terms the treatment he found being accord ed immigrants about to be deported. He spoke of the filth of the building and said T wouldn't drive the hogs on my farm through as much filth as there was on that floor
 lover 100000 meals month were served in one dining room and the people never were given a drink of water"
 scrubbed for months, the water was turned of for fear the floors would become wet and over 200 people were crowded into a room hardly big | enough for 30.
 He spoke of robbery of immigrants 1 in New York. One family was charged | s200 for taxi fare to Riyington street. | A whole group paid for tickets to Des Moines, Iowa, and were given sub way tickets instead by some crook. Ellis Island Is literally "vale of tears"
 Whenever l saw a boat load Of policemen come the the island l knew there were lot of Irish girls on the island" he said. Some of the people hadn't seen sugar for years and the told many amusing in- cidents of the fret Ice cream and mice pie the immigrants ever saw. They discovered the ice cream was sweet so they spread il on their bread like preserves. The mince pie they turned it into their soup, stirred tho whole business together and drank 1t.
 There is no word so full of mean ng and so little understood as Amer he said. "Americaniza- ion is just interpreting in deeds and good will the best ideals of our American life. You can't crown lmericanization down the immigrants hroat, you've got to let him learn hat this great country is his friend.
 "'rhe anarchists are not the most dangerous men we have in this coun. ry. The most dangc rous are those who 10 about ouicts aGad insidionsly, de- troying and undermining the ideals if the country
 He drew a striking picture of the oor immigrant who Is taught from lis mothers knee, who sacrifices, and taryes himself to go 10 what he is lught is new heaven. He arrives ith no home, no business no money nd Uncle Sam tells him to go back. :
 We should examine every immi- rant who wants to come 10 America, Jng before he puts foot on tho ship n the other side" He described the present system of ' as similar to system ! ,hich would bring .'the run Of the ! lines" to New Britain, here 10 be | leaned and separated from the dirt ! nd rock and other undesirable ma 0 rial. "a Heart breaking scenes Of women rowing themselves on the floor of le ships and beating their heads c