Evening star., 1926-02-14
COMMISSIONER DENIES
OUTSIDE INFLUENCE
Barred Countess Declares She Does
Not Regret Past-Questions
Morals of Entire Nobility.
By the ssociated Press

HotnlnB 10 MIN or the possibility OF
his deportation.
Il know nothing of it," he said.
Immigration authorities have been
coming TO see me all afternoon and
they have questioned me regarding
Lady Cathcart. They said nothing
about my being deported
1t Is perfectly disgusting the way
Lady Cathcart has been treated. /
emphatically say that l had nothing
To do with the action against her. |
dld not know when she was coming
TO America or on what ship. The
United States is quite big enough for
the two of US
Protest Is Aroused.
Exclusion of the countess by the
Earl Of Craven. named as correspond.
ent IN her husband 5 divorce SUIT, re
mains i'll New York, has aroused a
storm of protest by prominent
women.
H. II. Curran, commissioner of
immigration authorities. while the
ordered an immediate investigation of
the eariS case.
Mr.. Curran said informal ton on the
fdrl case would be referred TO
person having the right to issue a
warrant of arrest, and to decide on
deportation. He said the earI's case
vas being pressed as vigorously as
that OF the countess and would be
thoroughly Investigated, no matter
"hdt the outcome of hers
A clause in section 19 of the immi.
grafton act of 1917, which covers the
exclusion of the countess on the
grounds of admitting Commission of
an act involving moral turpitude. -
covers also the deportation of any
allen already in the country who ad.
rnits the commission. before entrance
OF any felony, or crime involving
moral turpitude.'
Inc commissioner definitely denied
that any one had requested the CIV.
cluSlon or the countess: that any
up against her entrance had been
received, or that any outside inf,u.
ence at all had been working against
her "e"'ii''
w hen the countess said Mr.. Cur
ran. wrote ID meaning divorce) op
poSlte the question, Married or sin.
sIe. on her landing manifesto,
instead of M. or IS she in,nosed
on the inspector the responsibilitv Of
asking questions, which brought the
reply that has made 1t necessary for,
her case to go before Secretary Davis
for decision
In the case of the Earl of Craven
the same procedure would naturally
not take place, as he is a married
man and M would occur on the
manifest in the same place and no
questions would be asked"
Il realize now that there was no
one at work trying to keep me out. "
Lady Cathcart said today,
Reporters Are Admitted.
AT her own request she was per
mltted to see reporters on Ellis
Island. With sharp features, quick
moving. defiant brown eyes and dark
hair, the countess is slim and smart.
Today she wore black satin, lace and
pearls.
Il was my own worst enemy. By
telling the truth l have gotten my
self here. 1t does put rather a pre-
MUM on lying
However, L have always tried to
be honest, and 1 expect to be in
the future" she added. This young
woman, who in her early thirties has
such a varied career to look back
on-marriage, war widowhood, mar
riage again Ito a nobleman nearly
three times her age), romance with
the fascinating young war hero
lord Craven), an elopenent to the
Riviera and later Africa, divorce, de.
stepfather, and now the reduced cir.
cumstances that have made necessary
the trip to this country to try to
peddle her plays"
Does Not Regret Past.
"I shall stay here If I am allowed
to-" she said. Moral turpitude does
seem a hard word for an act com
mitted in sincerity and at no time
regretted Adultery is not a crime
in England. If it were all of the
English nobility would be in Jail
And If England had the same en-
trance laws as America I don't think
many American women would get
in"
A bitterness crept into the cult
| waited English voice.
OF her visit to Ellis Island, the
| countess had no complaint to make
Il have been wonderfully treated ,
she said. Comfortable room and a
nice bath to myself, good food, and
plenty of chance to see my friends
! and all the communication I wanted
| with the outside world. Ellis Island
strikes me as. spotlessly clean and
| most comfortable, and the officials
have been w1ndness itself-all quite
different from the English newspaper
accounts"
| For occupation, while she waits for
| the decision in her case, the countess
has been working to finish her mos,
| recent novel. Two already have been
published in England. They are THE
Woman Tempted and TT Came to
Pass"
The latest is called What Shall
| Judge?" she said and laughed
| Rather good, isn't 1t?" Asked if she
had heard from many people in Eng
| land, she answered:
! Hundreds of cables. From my own
| friends, who sympathize, and advise
| me to stick 1t out, and many ques
Continued on Page 3, Column ~