Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-09-18
ALLEN LAW CHANGE
VIEWED AS SUCCESS
Wedding Out Undesirables
Abroad Instead of at U. S.
Ports Highly Commended.
BY LEMUEL F. PARTON.

Special Dispatch to The Star.
NEIW YORK. September 11.-Se.
lective immigrat ton as put into effect
year ago by the wedding out of un-
] desirable immigrants abroad. instead
| OF at American ports. is proving de-
| cided success. As the Department Of
/ Labor begins plans for the deporta.
/ ton of more than 900 900 aliens in the
| United States illegally. New York inn
! migration officials report steadily inn
| proving quality of immigrants, both
| mentally and physically. Less than
/ one-half of 1 per cent of applicants
| for entry now are being excluded.
| This proportion is far less than
that of the pre- quota days. There is
Iabundant evidence Of generally higher
economic quality among immigrants
arriving within the last year.
Clause in New Quota Law.
Provision for selection of inmi-
grants abroad is included in the new
| Federal immigration quota law, passed
IN May 1924. Under the direction OF
| American consular officers, primary
inspectors" are stationed in virtually
all European countries. These inspec.
tors check information submitted on
missionaries, and certificates are re.
fused to applicants Of subnormal men.
tallty, and those who are physically
unfit or have criminal records.
immigrants who are passed are ex-
amned on ship board at American
ports. by inspectors and are taken tn
immigration stations only in special
cases. 1t was not until last wear that
the system reached full effectiveness
IL has resulted in greatly lessening
confusion, depOrtations and the break
n ~ oh,
resulted in almost daily tragedies at
Ellis Island.
Benjamin M. Day, commissioner of
immigration of the port of New York.
sees IN this system the beginning of
increasingly effective selection of i'm
migrants which will result in vast i'm
provement in the stream of human
material pouring into the country.
Held as Humane Proceeding.
ut is the most sensible and the
most humane proceeding in the his.
tory OF our immigration policy" he
said today. II have been Watching
immigrants closely and comparing
them with those of past years, as dis.
closed by the records covering mental
and physical incapacity, immortality
ana general conditions governing fit.
ness for entry. There is no question
but that America is getting better
material for citizenship than it ever
got before. There is observable a
much higher level of intelligence and
morality.
II attribute this not ONLY to tho
quota restrictions but to the deter
mination abroad of qualifications for
entry. The advantages to the immi-
grant In being Informed and passed
upon before his journey, and thus
saved from possible futile trip over
seas, are, Of course, inestimable
In some cases our inspectors meet
Ing arriving ships discover circum-
stances which lead them to question
the entry of immigrants, and i'm these
instances they are brought to Ellis
Island. Their cases are heard by a
board of special inquiry from which
they have the right of appeal to the
Department of Labor. On account of
the inspection on the other side. the
great majority of immigrants. do not
have to visit the island. This has re-
suited in vastly lessening congestion
and confusion, and gives an oppor.
tunity for just. deliberate and humane
administration.
Cut i'm Imm' Grafton Volume.
Under the quota law. passed i'm
=
little more than one-third the volume
of that year. In 1921 S05,22S immi-
grants We're admitted to the United
States, and in 1926. 30i ass. 1t is es-
timated that the total for 1927 Will
be slightly less. Germany leads in
| keeping up to its quota of 81, 227 an.
| nually. with Great Britain and North
| Ireland next with quota of 81 ,001
France does not fill its quota of
1851"
1t is understood that the roundup
of persons subject to deportation Will
be directed particularly against anar-
chists. criminals and persons against
whom charges involving moral terpi.
tude are made. In these cases the
statute of limitations does not apply,
and such persons may be proceeded
against regardless of their period OF
| residence in the United States. In
cases of illegal entry, the statute of
limitations runs three years for sea-
men and five years for others.
At Ellis Island it was said there had
been no increase in the number OF
| persons held for deportation. and the
! Government move against criminal
aliens is not yet observable, so far as
/ new cases are concerned.