The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-07-18
SECRETLY DEPORT
CHINESE WORKERS
ON ELLIS ISLAND
Sent to Rotterdam AS
Lawyer Gets Writ

While Investigations as to theil
status were going on, the SO Chinese
seamen who had left the liner Rot
terdam at Hoboken, June %, after
they had been refused shore leave
were deported back to Holland Sat
urday morning. They were being
held at Ellis Island.
The action of immigration officials
in allowing the removal of the sea-
men was condemned by workers in
their interest. Congressman La
Guardia announced he would take the
incident to President Coolidge.
LaGuardia Protests.
"This is not only outrageous and
improper" said LaGuardia, "but it
is an indecent, fragrant violation of
the law by the steamship company
The Ellis Island officials virtually
approved of the kidnapping of these
sailors while our government Off
Gals were investigating their status.
The fact that Secretary of Labor
Davis was prosecuting an inquiry
was well known to the officials at
the island.
II look to Secretary Davis to- find
out exactly what happened. TqA5hink
that Ellis Island officials showed
themselves to be used as marionettes
by a private steamship company is
disgusting"
While the Chinese workers were
being secretly deported, Hugo Pol
lock, their attorney, was preparing
affidavits preliminary to asking for
writ of habeas corpus in their be-
half, and telephoned to Deputy Com
missioner of immigration Uhle to in
quire if the attitude of the govern
ment Representatives had changed.
Uhle informed Pollock that the sea-
men had already been deported
When Uhle was asked if he did not
think such action highhanded, he re-
piled, sit cannot be helped"
Enveigled on Board.
The 38 workers were part of the
crew of the liner Rotterdam, who
were hired at Rotterdam to serve in
place of sailors who went on strike
They did not know until they reached
mid-ocean that they were filling the
places of strikers. They went or
strike at Hoboken and Sd of them
were jailed, many of them being Sc
verely beaten and held II hours with.
out permission to see counsel. Six.
teen of the men We're recently re.
turned to Rotterdam.
| WASHINGTON, July 17.-Fifty.
three Chinese seamen, who refused tc
act as strike-breakers on a Holland.
American line steamship, were hello
at Ellis Island without legal author
ity and in defiance of the immigra.
ton act of 1924. This was done by
the Bureau of immigration of the
Department of Labor as an "accom.
mediation" to the steampship com.
pany, although bureau officials il
Washington admit the entire proceed.
ure is informal"
In the eyes of Washington immi
grafton authorities, the Chinese sea
men are plain mutineers, "likely tc
riot and endanger life," although
there is no proof to that effect. IL
fact, officials here depended en-
tirely on the say~so of steamship of
ficers in reaching judgments on the
entire case. Even if the Chinese are
mutineers, and not indignant victim:
of an employers trick in hiring then
to take strikers places without in
forming them of the use to which
they were to be put, the law was VIC
lated on the interpretation Of Wash
ington officials themselves. The Law
requires mutineers to be taken bach
to the home port on the same vessel
Accommodate Company.
"But this is a very extraordinary
case" declare bureau officials, whC
were pointed in their demands no. t
be quoted. "As an Accommodation
to the company, we held the seamei
at Ellis Island. If they were Above,
the freedom of the port for 60 days
as allowed by law, the compan,
would have had to put up 500, 700 il
bonds, or 81, 900 for each sailor.
"Both to protect ourselves agains
these men gaining illegal entry ant
to save the Holland lin,
from FORGETTING so much money, w,
held the Chinese at Ellis Island unit
the company could provide trans
! portation back to Hc.n,and,"