Omaha monitor., 1929-01-04
MAN WITHOUT A
COUNTRY PUZZLE
iii and in Jail, Authorities
Don't Know What to
Do With Him.

Detroit-A man literally without q
country, in Jail and Ill, now wonders
what will become of him. And the
federal immigration authorities, who
had him put in Jail. likewise are won
dering what they should do with him.
OF course, it is his own fault that
he is in Jail. The authorities really
are not to blame for holding him, for
he violated a federal law. But the
man, whose entire record shows him
to be honest and hard working, never
theieSs is deprived of his liberty and
seemingly is without recourse at law.
His case became what generally is
termed a situation" five years ago,
when immigration authorities picked
him out of the Detroit river and ac-
cused him of attempting to enter the
United States Illegally.
Fled From Armenia.
But that is a little ahead of the
story. To begin when the trouble
really started, Avoids Godoshian fled
from Armenia. his birthplace. after
the Turkish massacres. His wife and
two of his six children had been killed
by the Turks. Godoshian fled to France
and there obtained passport to
Canada.
His plan was TO come to Canada, es-
tablish his residence there, then emf
CRATE to the United States. This, he
understood, would be legal as he had
been told Canadian residents could
enter the United States without wait
ing for immigration quotas SO he
came to Windsor, with a little more
than S2000-his life savings-with
which he was to bring his sister and
his four remaining children to the
United States
In Canada. however, he found en-.
trance to the United States was not
SO easy. He could not brazenly come
to Detroit. Still the immigration au-
thOrities stood in the way of his dream
of American freedom and prosperity.
But finally be heard of a way to come
10 Detroit All ii required was $1,000.
and what remained of his little family
could be brought across the interna
fional boundary to new happiness
Saved From River.
Ii was early on the morning of DC
iober 10. 1923, wien Godoshian, with
his sister and four children, got In q
row boat with an 'alien smuggler" on
the Canadian side of the Detroit river
The smuggler rowed through the heavy
fog and was nearly to the American
side when steamship doomed up in
the fog. bore down on the row boat
and shattered it. All except Godoshian
were drowned He chung to a suit
case. which. by some freak of chance.
fi0ated and after two hours he was
rescued by an American immigration
officer.
Worn out by his battle for life In
the water, Godoshian was taken to a
Detroit hospital to recover Then
came the word he could not remain
in the United States. He entered
pleas with the immigration authorities
that he be allowed to remain until he
recovered the bodies of his sister and
children. Not entirely deaf to his
pleas. the immigration officers allowed
him TO post $500 bond that he would
return to Canada within six months,
and that he would at no time become
ID public charge.
Godoshian got job In foundry
and worked every day. He supported
himself and saved little money. But
his savings three times were wiped
out when bodies of his relatives were
washed ashore and he provided them
with burials The other two never
have been found
From time TO time the United States
authorities extended his stay here
The permit was reissued. and the bond
was continued. But a year ago a new
set of immigration officers denied his
appeal for another continuation and
ordered him to return to Canada.
Big Problem Arises.
BY this time, however, the Canadian
authorities had become more strict
than they were FIVE years before. They
would not admit him to Canada BIZ
cause they explained he had forfeited
Ills Canadian residence when he came
10 the United States.
Then the big problem arose in the
United States immigration offices. IN
able to deport him to Canada. they
thought of France, from which Co
doshian had entered Canada. But
France had no reason for accepting
him, as that country had discharged
all claim on him when 1t issued him
the passport to Canada.
Armenia. Then, was the only place
10 which he could be deported. 1t was
his birthplace. so Armenia was the
logical place TO send him. Already
the immigration authorities have APP
piled at Washington for deportation
papers to Armenia.
But even Armenia will not take him
In the opinion of Mrs Catherine Her.
lehy. his attorney. The very fact that
Godoshian fled Armenia as a refugee
precludes all possibility of deporta-
lion TO his birthplace, she contends.