New Britain herald., 1923-08-17
GEDDES REPORT
BRANDED UNTRUE
Commissioner Comes to Defense
Of Ellis Island I'll

New York. Aug. 1.-THE straigh
issue OF truth was raised by Commits
sioner Henry H. Curran yesterda,
against Ambassador Geddes for BIZ
report on conditions at Ellis Island
Discussing the cabled report he called
1t colored throughout with persona
opinion or part of an apparently de.
termined British propaganda agains
the island. In many of its details, III
declared 1t fatty untrue.
He concurred In the ambassador
suggestion for, structural improve
ments and for larger sums for upkeeT
of the plant, but added:
Even as things are today there Ii
no real hardship. We are running q
good hotel here. 1t would be only &
gateway to the United States If the
right kind of people came to u.s. Eng
lish folk we get all seem to wan,
places apart from the others. That
| perhaps, is what prompted some Of
| must treat them all alike.
No Dirt Around.
Ellis suggestion about dirt is abso.
lutely not true. have policed III
around barracks and have com.
manded barracks. I know this place
Is clean except in the immediate
neighborhood of those immigrants
who throw rubbish about faster thar
any force can pick it up. Some
Americans who use our parks are
guilty of the same thing"
Roberts E. Todd. Major Curran :
predecessor at the Island. refused to
discuss the Geddes report in detail
when he arrived from Italy in the
Consulich liner Presidente Wilson yes
terday, but he did agree with the
ambassadors suggestion that more
money should be spent on the upkeep
of the Islands buildings.
Last year congress appropriated
only 100000 for this purpose and
$4,000 was expended in repairing
roofs alone. This year, understand,
only 100000 is available for all i'm
migrant stations, or $4,000 for Ellis
Island. That won't pay for new
paint"
Congress has held down the appro-
priation for the island, although fig
ures made public yesterday show that
the immigration service made a profit
last year of more than $1,000.o0o.
This month an extra rs cents was
added to the lodging fee for those
detained at the island, making 1t so
cents a night, which the steamship
companies must pay. For those sleep
ing there on their way to other
countries the charge is 81.
Go Through Quickly.
Commissioner Curran treats the
Geddes report in no gentle manner.
"You remember the old song, You
Gotta Quit Kicking Ny Dog
Around?" he said yesterday. well,
this seems to be a part of the game
of kicking Uncle Sans dog, and
those who want to kick usually PICK
on Ellis Island. One Of the guards
here showed how we feel about 1t.
I met him the other day looking very
gloomy, and asked him his trouble.
"'oh, nothing he answered, 'ex-
C6pI LIdL HAVE W SI<tiu ICAS anu iCb
immigrants walk on my toes, kick me
in the shins and spit in my face, and
all I can say to them is Thank
YOU"
'The whole tone of the ambassa-
doris statement is to make this a
place of tragedy and grief. Well,
there's tragedy here. But out of
every 100 immigrants examined 80
are admitted. They 60 through here
in jig time and they seem happy
while they're doing IT. And there's
comedy here, lot more of it than
tragedy. Talk of separating families!
Why the other day happened to see
Greek come into the special board
room where they we're examining his
wife and little girl. He ran in and
kissed the child. The matron asked
him why he didn't kiss his wife.
Oh he replied. 7 kissed her on the
boat last Saturday.
These people are not all eaten by
the gloom of these 'diabolical hell
holes and cages Ninety-nine per cent
of it is pure comedy, the story ends
right and they 60 their ways and live
happily ever after.
1.-THE one per cent of tragedy Is
caused in part by the steamship COM
panies bringing those they know are
inadmissible and in part by foreign
governments who take no pains In Sc
lecting those they send us, The Nor
wegians, Swedes, Germans and
Italians go right through because
they are well picked on the other side.
The same, unfortunately, is not true
of our British immigrants,