Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-03
vi.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

ave
The spider is merciless.
The fee collected for bringing an
alien into the United States-it some
times runs as high as $5,oo0-is only
a small part Of what the sanctimoniouS-
! ly camouf1aged racket" expects to col
| lect from its victim Unless Uncle
Sam rescues him he pays until he dies,
pays to the last penny that can be
! ground out Of his misery. The country
of the mans dreams becomes a slave
! pen. His children are born in slavery
| He is allowed just enough of his earn
| ings to live.
Everything else he must turn over
week after week, to the racket. Other
wise he will be exposed. The best he
can expect Is to be sent back to his
own country. In many cases he fears
jail sentence, at least This Is the
most significant fact that has come
from Assistant Secretary Garsson's In
veStigation. That is why Secretary
Doak Is determined to bring the rack
aliens are here who do not belong here
is incidental, in the Labor Secretary's
eyes, to the fact that these scoundrelS
are taking the milk from infants and
medicine from the sick-and superb
| cially are so pious and idealistic about
it. Sometimes they even pose as cham
pions of the oppressed against the hard
hearted, hide-bound Government. But
! Carson insists, the worst injustice CT
which the Government ever was &C
| cused in immigration matters appears
insignificant indeed compared with the
daily practices of the racketeers, as
shown by the investigation.
Inclined TO Leniency.
So the Department of Labor Is in
clined to take the most tolerant view
consistent with the enforcement of the
law toward the victim. Every case must
be decided on It's merits. But as Cars
son puts it. "the Secretary's the sort of
man that hates to see anybody hurt. "
Regardless Of how an alien got here, II
citizen, If there is reasonable senti-
mental Justification for his behavior
and especially If he has suffered from
the forced tribute paying, he can be
assured that the Labor Department will
lean far over on the side Of leniency.
Means may even be found to keep the
right sort of man in the United States
This investigation, Carson insists. is
not primarily roundup of aliens. 1t
is not new red" drive. The Depart
ment of Labor is after bigger game
than the poor laborer or the soap-box
radical. 1t is trying to crush the spider
in whose web these are the struggling,
helpless flies.
Living is hard in Southern and East
ern Europe, Carson points out Among
the poor and ignorant the legend Of a
fabulous land to the west where every
laborer lives like king still circulates
No bargain seems too hard which will
enable them to come here A family
will pledge all It's resources to get one
Of its members into the new country
Only when the unfortunate is safely in
the United States does he realize the
hard terms Of the payment and the
inevitability of his fate.
The alien who has gotten into the
United States illegally naturally is loath
to talk. and 1t is only upon his appre-
hens1on that the true conditions Of his
affairs come out. A servant girl earn
ing $50 a week was paying So a week
to the racket under threat Of ex-
posture. Carson found a blind man
from whom the gang was extortlng
regularly every cent he possibly could
spare from his earnings.
Saving of Lifetime Lost.
One case reported to Secretary Doak
is that of a family admitted legally
more than 20 years ago, who left one
son In the old country. The chances
are that means could have been found
to admit the boy legally If the family
had consulted reputable attorney or
come directly to the Department of
Labor. Instead they went to an at
torney with far different principles He
engaged to have the boy smuggled in
and the family paid $4,000. The scheme
failed. The boy was caught and. be-
cause OF this, forever debarred from
legal entrance. Later, when the BOYS
mother was dying, the case came di-
rectIy to Secretary Doak and arrange
ments were made to admit him under
bond. But savings of a lifetime had
oeen eXtorted from this poor family.
Another man was smuggled in sue
cessfully, but was obliged to leave his
wife and children in Canada. where
they lived in the utmost restitution
while the husband paid more than $500
out OF his small salary to the racket
The family still is in Canada.
The actual injury done the country
oy the presence of the alien is not in
considerable, even in cases where there
can be no objection to the individuals
personal character. If he were com
petlng for Jobs with American work