Scandal of Ellis Island

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XIII, Issue 256, 13 October 1923, Page 13

Scandal of Ellis Island

British Ambassador s Revelations Old Dirt and New Immigrants Geddes Says Would Prefer Sing-Sing

Some very plain speaking about the conditions prevailing at the I lilted Slates immigration station ai Ellis Island is contained in a dispati li from Sir Auckland Geddes, the British Ambassador. Sir Auckland says he would prefer Sing-Sing prison to incarceration on Kilis Island awaiting deportation : and he urges Ellis Island ought to be relieved of about half tin* people poured into it. Criminal deportees should go to a separate station. Immigrants shotdd he weeded out in their own couuThe Ambassador describes the I temporary detention system as | •diabolic?- and he says that it I took him “36 hours to get rid of the aroma*’ after leaving the island.

Heart of the Tragedy. “Wretched Creatures in Suspense” of Their bate. It may be recalled that Sir Auckland had a distinguished medical career before entering the diplomatic service. He describes first a visit to the immigration station, and says that the locked doors and wire cages are much in evidence. He is satisfied, however, that the work of the station could not be done without them. Old Dirt and New Immigrants. The impression he received was that the cleaning was done with longhandled brushes and mops with, at times, aid from

a cold-water- hose. “Nothing but hot water, strong soda and soap freely and very frequently applied with a scrubbing b/ush will serve if real cleanliness is to be obtained. “As a result of the presence of chronic dirt, the buildings are pervaded by a flat, stale smell. This is * quite distinct

from the pungent odour of unwashed humanity.

Both are to be met at Ellis Island. Indeed, the compound smell of old dirt and new immigrants is so nearly universal there that I should not be surprised if it were no longer noticed by the members of the staff. After leaving the island it took me 36 hours to get rid of the aromi which flavoured everything I ate or drank. “Those who pass through range—from the highly educated and gently nurtured, now fallen into straitened circw instances, to the utterly, brutalised victim of poverty and oppression in some scarce-civilised land.” Detention on Ellis Island must be a hateful experience for all of any sensibility who pass its portals. As for the medical examinations, many of the details given are unprintable, but the Ambassador remarks:— Worse Than a Recruiting Board. “No recruiting medical board I saw (when Director of Recruiting) was quite so badly accommodated as the medical inspection board I saw at work on Ellis Island. ‘ ‘ The men . . have to pile their thing’s on the racks higgledy-piggledy — the clean clothes of the washed on the foul clothes of the unwashed Personally I thought it disgusting for the ‘ ‘ washed. ’’

After the medical examination, the admitted immigrants get away speedily, under thoroughly efficient arrangements. But there is the other class of the tern-

porarilv detained. Sir Aucklam ‘‘l feci’profoundly sorry for .some o the temporarily detained a mothei uniting lor a delayed child or a iathoi with his children anxiously watrhiuj. for his wife to come to him. The ver) heart of tin' tragedy of Ellis Island ii in the room of the temporarily detainIt is no ones’ fault and cannot b* avoided, unless immigrants to th* United States are Io be finally approve* for admission in their own land befor< they set out upon their journey. ’’ “Diabolic” System. "* Large numbers of the immigrant' have to go before a board to determine whether they may bo admitted. Every immigrant rejected is told of l:is right I to appeal to the Secretary of Labour it! ; Washington. This arrangement, the theory, of • which is probably right, is in prac- | tice nothing short of diabolic. For I days some wretched creature is I kept in suspense. . . Days slip ! by, into weeks sometimes, before a decision is reached When the doubt affects one member of a’

family, perhaps a child, the mental anguish must be excruciating. “In addition to immigrants, Ellis Island has to receive stowaways and men and women ordered to be deported. The conditions under which these unhappy creatures and those refused admission for being in excess of quota spend their time on Ellis Island are perhaps as satisfactory as the building will permit. Personally, I should prefer imprisonment in , Sing-Sing to incarceration on Ellis Island awaiting deportation. “After seeing lsland and studying its problems, I believe it is true to say that it is impossible to administer any immigration station under existing United States laws without hardship and tragedy. If a system could be devised which would prohibit persons desiring to come to the United States from sailing from Europe or elsewhere without the ccrtainity of admission to the United States, the problem would be almost entirely solved.” 12-Point Programme. “If I were asked to advise the responsible authorities” (says Sir Auckland) I should recommend twelve things:— Put the existing buildings into a thorough state of repair and alter the latrine arrangements. Arrange for these buildings to be maintained structurally and to be kept thoroughly clean. Arrange thorough structural alteration for proper medical examination rooms. At least refurnish, but if possible replace, the present first and second-class rooms by rooms with windows looking to the outside, as the third-class rooms have. Expedite Appeals. If possible, through structural alteration, improve the ventilation o? the downstairs rooms so that they can be freely used in the work of handling the crowds of immigrants. Do everything to expedite the handling of immigrants, especially in the matter of appeals. Provide a new station for criminal deportees. Provide a new station for those requiring “kosher” (Jews’) food (or, alternately, let Ellis Island be the “kosher’’ station, and provide a new station for the rest.)

Authorise United States Consuls to refuse visas to the passports of those obviously prevented by law from entering the United States, Arrange, if possible, for all immigrants to be finally approved or disapproved in their home lands. Abandon the quaint custom of delivering lectures on Americanisation to criminal and other deportees. Strangely, this well-meant activity .seems to be more annoying to its victims than any other single detail in the life of Ellis Island.

Brighten up the hospital interiors with fresh paint, and keep them even more scrupulously clean.