YANKEE CULTURE

NZ Truth, Issue 998, 10 January 1925, Page 6

YANKEE CULTURE

Sample At Ellis Island

An Australian Witness.

(By "Truth's" Broken Hill Correspondent.)

The shocking conditions prevalent at Ellis Island, where visitors to the Jewnited States are usually detained for examination, are here revealed by Mr. J. Uhl, of Broken Hill, New South Wales, who has just returned from; 1 as he puts it, that "inhospitable clime. 1 '

"I was assured by both the U.S.A; 1 Consul m London and the agent for the Cunard line," said Mr. Uhl, "that I >would not have to pass through Ellis Island^ as I was a tourist* and not an iirimigrant desiring to settle m the U.S.A. On arrival m New York, I was ordered, ,with others, aboard a launch, and taken to Ellis' Island, despite my passport being m order. "The house m which the immigrants or anyone entering the U.S.A. are accommodated is a very attractive one from the outside. The Statue of Liberty,- a short distance away, leads one to- anticipate a very pleasant sojourn on Ellis Island. ;". DISILLUSIONED. "It is no,t long, however, before one is entirely disillusioned. Immigrants of all "colors, sexes, nationalities, and creeds— some encrusted Svith the filth of Southern Europe-^-are huddled together. All sorts pf questions are asked-r^such as the reason for coming to the U.S.A., whether on business or pleasure, or with a view to becoming a citizen. A man is asked whether a girl has ever had any children to him, and a woman is asked if she has ever borne children. "I saw numbers of women break down, and sob at the nature of the questions which were asked them. "After the ordeal of the'examinations, one is taken to another part' of. the building, unfit even for animals. It is dirty and filthy, and all the Bc'um of the world seems to assemble there, no discrimination is made between the clean and respectable or the filthy, but all are herded together m one' room. During the daytime, men and women, boys, girls, and infants are m the one room, 72 feet long by 24 feet wide. ;■•■ "For sleeping, the sexes are separated,and 320 persons are put m the same. room. The bunks are built' m tiers of twelve, and' lt v often happens that one found himself with foreigners above and below, no division being made into nationalities or discrimination of classes. Sometimes one has to sleep on forms, because no beds were available. DISGUSTING FOOD CONDITIONS. . . "Little .provision is made for cleanliness to be observed, as a clean towel is only issued on Sundays, arid ; immediately after use has to be returned. "The food is of poor quality, and one is called for breakfast at 6 a.m., and is compelled to sit at the same table as all: nations. No knives or. forks are provided, but one has to dip his hand into the dish of food, together with foreigners who are strangers to sbap and water. "I was forced to spend twelve days on Ellis Island. After release, I began to look . around New York, where I found a strong antagonism to British subjects. Should one be asked whether he was an Englishman, andif the reply was 'No,' and later questioning showed that one was a British- subject though not British borri, the reply was, 'Well you' are as. bad."