Show Ic t l. l 11 SI r 4 sr nn Ghe C he government is doing much to help helD those detained at the Ellis Island Station during durIna durin dur dur- in ing Ina Commissioner conflict Commissioner Howes Howe's s efforts bearing fruit ESTER ISTER me mc When When you rou tInk Dr Frederick C. C Bowe Howe V commissioner of immigration was greeted In this manner at least a dozen times tunes while showing a 1 visitor I through the Ute detention ward at Ellis Island The commissioner listened patiently first to one and then another another another an an- other giving each ench a kindly answer says sas a writer in the New York Her lIer- al aid ald Am Among ng those who addressed him were an nn elderly Italian woman who talked with n a gesture ex expressive of the hopelessness with which she regarded her case n a young Frenchwoman French Frenchwoman woman petite an and earnest looking who when asked If It she could cook answered Tres bien blen and a n young Russian Jew who during a previous stay in this country served In Sing Slug Sing and Is a u member of the Welfare league They all want to get away said sold fir Mr Howe We are doing everything possible to make It more comfortable an homelike around here We have remove removed removed re re- move moved many restrIctions restrictions which heretofore existed on the theor theory that the more freedom the they have themore the themore themore more orderly they are inclined to conduct rl them them- sel selves ves But with all this tills there Is bo bound nd to be a feeling among those who are detained for one one one- reason or another against their will that they hey are In later Inter years however of some them I 1 am amBure sure Bure whether they admitted are arc to the country or orare orare are sent back to their native land laud will look back backon on their sta stay at Ellis Island as ns au nn incident in their lives Ives that was not altogether unpleasant Most of the aliens now detained on the Island have been there since the European war broke out In all aU there were some Germans Hungarians Poles Russians and others being detained when Doctor Howe first took up his duties as commIssioner commis commIs- commissioner of immigration the majority of whom had been ordered deported because of the violation of ot the he Immigration statutes They were men women and peasants children peasants for foe the most part part from from small towns and villages of ot Europe Before the order of deportation could be carried out the steamship companies which had brought most of these people over were forced to wI withdraw their vessels from service on account of ot the war and consequently mose to whom wilOm admission to the country had been denied dented were forced to remain remain remain re re- main on Ellis Island Some of them have haye since been admitted to the country either conditionally or un un- conditionally The problem of making life a n little more pleasant for those who remain reman isune Isone Is Isone one une which Doctor Howe has tried In a practical a way to solve He lie has come cometo to know most of the tho unfortunate unfortunate un un- fortunate pers persons Us under his Jurisdiction personally and when he visits the de ten ten- I S vl N l i I IT r.- r. I I 1 r 1 Al M V hT I Nl m my S y r 4 rW ill ff r j ri a r R U ii ZA ZAY Y l S. S i f L I u non Lion word ware which he frequently does there are always al al- al- al ways many questions to answer anSwel and heartaches to soothe olli Late one afternoon last lust October Doctor Howe while going around the station on one of these tours of investigation noticed a n middle-aged middle woman woman wom wom- an of neat motherly appearance with two pretty little girls cuddling up to her sitting In the detention detention tion room As the hour was late Inte and he lie thought they were visitors Doctor Howe inquired what they were waiting waftIng for forand and if he could do anything for them The woman explained that she was British and with wins her children had been ordered deported They rhey had arrived from Great Britain about a month before be bo- fore but hut had no friends In this country and no money and and therefore had hod not been allowed toen to en enter ter The health healthy appearance of the two children their pretty faces and their evident goo good breeding won over oyer the commissioner on the he spot and und he lie Immediately Immediately Immedi Immedi- Interested himself I in tit their case The womans woman's name nome was Mrs Rita IUta Horner and ami her story was this When the war broke out she was living with her family which besides her husband hus hus- husband band consisted of two t sons and three daughters on a dairy farm some miles out of Capetown South Africa The he country about about them was rugged and anci wild and antI the he girls despite their young years were forced to walk many miles every day to attend s school hool The sons who were ol older er helped to work the the farm The husband and the two boys along with most of the bodied able men In that section enlisted In the British army soon after war was declared and were sent to the front They took tool part in the fighting in Belgium and northern France One Otte son was killed an and the father seriously wounded All trace truce of the other son had been lost Mrs Horner was unable to work the farm by herself herselt so she raised miRed what money she could and went to England with her three daughters daughters Una Una fifteen years Pirl ten years cars old and Rita nine years ears old They had not been In England long when Mrs 1 Horner Homer deeded to come corae to America C Cn en n hearing Mrs homers Horners story Doctor Howe d with Ith the authorities at Washington He lie explained that these people were all strong and healthy that tin the children were beautiful and th there was no danger of them becoming a pub pub- lie lic charge Furthermore he announced his willingness willing willing- nel ness s to be responsible for them and nud n a few days after atter the machinery had hod been set In motion word came back ba lc k from Washington that Mrs Mm Horner and her children would be released In Ills hits custody Meantime the family had made mude friends with nearly near near- ly ever everybody boy on the Island The watchman nn and guards petted the children and gave them many runny little pre presents The attendants dl did air they could to mal make e them comfortable Despite these attentions the children dren sometimes sometime would act as if lonesome Noticing this Doctor Howe one da day asked the reason We are not Dot lonel lonely for people but lonely for anImals animals ani anI- mals the they answered In South Africa one of their principal pastimes had been to trek through the woods woos with their dogs The Homers at Ellis Island for several se weeks after they had been admitted to the country th then n Doctor Howe took them up to a summer home he lie has in the woods In We Westchester tc count county There they have lived all winter enjo enjoying life In Inthe Inthe inthe the open country especially when snow was on the ground and find the deer tracks could be followed through the woods The two younger girls poss possess ss a knowledge of woodcraft which Doctor Howe says say Is really amazing and they have no fear of getting lost in the woods They walk f for r miles In n whichever whichever whichever which which- ever direction their fancy takes them always ays findIng finding finding find find- ing their wa way back bock home by the same sort of Instinct instinct instinct in In- as that by which an Indian Is guided The interest shown by Doctor Howe in this particular particular particular par par- case was in keeping with his hits general policy polley of so administering the affairs of Ellis Ems Island that those who come to this country from other lands with the intention of making a new home Route for themselves then them selves will be treated with as much kindness and consideration lon as life Ure enforcement of the exclusion laws permits The enforcement of ot these laws Is bound to cause many hardships and disappointments but Ellis island island is Is- land is no longer a 11 place to be dreaded It Is clean elean wholesome and comfortable The walls of or the thc there rc re reb try atry room where where the Incoming aliens receive their first impressions of America are no longer bare and forbidding The They have been draped with American lags flags and hung with portraits of the presidents pres pres- presidents Ires and pictures of important events In American Amer Amer- Iran fran history Palms and other growing plants have been placed aro around the lie room Photographs Illustrative illustrative Illus illus- of the natural beauties and resources es of America procured from the various government departments departments departments de de- de- de at Wa Washington have been placed In the detention room and around the corri corridors ors Every Sunday afternoon a concert Is s given In the registry room the music being furnished by someone some seine one of the organizations of foreign-born foreign persons In Inand inand and about New York city which have volunteered to furnish such entertainment A moving picture outfit has also been provided by another group of inter Interested sted persons and receptions are arc given gi very Thursday nl night ht These entertainments have done much to brighten the lives of those who have been detained on the Island for months Last summer to tor r relieve the situation playgrounds grounds were opened on the island nn and mothers and children were permitted permitted permitted per per- to play on the lawns The lie first day they we were e released from the station the they rolled upon th the earth and wept with Joy from contact with the green grass gruss During the winter months handball and other Indoor In- In In door games have been heen provided Classes lasses in gymnastics gm gym have been organized for Cor the men The fhe j women have been given Instruction In sewing and provided with material to make clothes for themselves themselves themselves them them- selves and chil children ren A school has been temporarily opened to ta teach the children and the New York city public library authorities have donated a number number number num num- ber of books printed in German Gelman and other foreign languages for the use of those who have a desire to read The men and women are permitted to mingle more freely In the various detention wards words and as asa asa a n result of ot these Innovations the feeling which prevails among those who have been long detained at the station Is more cheerful than It was during the first few months of the war Attempts to escape escape es es- es- es cape which were frequent at one time have come cometo cometo cometo to an on end Ellis Ems Island Is the greatest portal In the world said Doctor Howe There never has been any portal portal portal por por- tal like Ilke it for human beings In normal times nearly nearly near- near ly 1 a million persons enter the country through It each year They come largely from countries where the government means only militarism and taxes they come to escape the feudal landlord from Industrial and social conditions which have become intolerable They come corae with hopes of a afresh afresh afresh fresh life Ufe of a fresh chance of opportunities for fo r themselves and their children They carry with wan them the Ue visions of America which have been Indelibly indelibly In In- printed upon their minds from the letters letter s which have gone back bac to Europe from friends an and d relatives already in this country And the Immigration laws of America have i In n effect If not In so many words said that America welcomed those who did not fall within the excluded ed classes those afflicted by disease or who ar are e likely to become a charge upon the community I It t held out ont an Invitation to the strong and able able- bodied to come and share In the making of a new nev v nation notion free from abuses and oppressions of the of old d world ivorid And of those who come over over 18 98 per cent ar are e admitted The rest are rejected because they Y fall fah I within the Inhibited classes And It seemed to m me e when I became commissioner of ot Immigration that the first contact of the alien allen with America should shout d be one that would Impress upon his mind the thin tiling thing g for which America stands that the treatment they the Y should receive the experiences the they should pass through and the contact they had with officials wearing the uniform of the United States should hould be those thos of ot kindness assistance and courtesy They rhey come for the most part with fear In their hearts they fear g government rather than love It And their Instinct Is to expect something ver very like what they received at home First Impressions are lasting and It has been our effort at Ellis island to mal make e these Impressions as as democratic as possible trod and to aid in as many ways as we could In protecting the Immigrant and antl assisting him to l his s final destination For the Ira Ira- I migrant Is imposed on he Is exploited To prevent pr this as much as possible offices have been opened In New York city one at the Barge office at South Ferry and the other at 40 East Seventy ninth street to which the Immigrant can go and procure aid assistance and advice about matters that lint concern concern concern con con- cern him Through these offices s he lie Is directed to schools and to the naturalization offices The offices otti- otti ces operate co-operate with the lie police department and with all an the many agencies In New York which have been created to lid did the Immigrant At these offices ollices there are employment ment agencies which find work for tor men and women and und which alma aim to distribute them to farming fanning positions to relieve the congestion In the cities Similar protection has been accorded the alien in transit to the West in securing the best transportation trans trans- fr transportation ms- ms facilities and otherwise relieving the im ha- immigrant migrant from frons the dangers which beset him hint while reaching his ultimate destination War IVar conditions brought probably men women and children to Ellis Ems island who for some ome reason or other had to go back buck to their native land they were not admissible to the country Each Euch of these cases has been In e Investigated personally their friends and relatives have been looked up und and In the great grant majority of cases they have been admitted ad ad- on hond bond to some person willing to be re re- for them Positions have be been n found for foz hundreds from front whom periodic reports are required as to how they are getting nl ng Only in very rare cases have they failed to male make good In many Instances they have li risen en rapidly and are now earning earn earn- In ing very substantial salaries Similar efforts are ure being made matJe to promote educational educational edu edu- advantages for the adult immigrant to immigrant to to encourage night schools For the last year veur the names navies of all nil children of ot school age h have ve been copied and sent to the superintendents of education education tion nil all over ovel the country in order ordel that they might immediately place children In sch school ol upon their h arrival ar ar- rival at nt their destination By these means the government gov gov- ov- ov emment comes in n immediate contact with tit second sec sec- ond generation of Immigrants and begins its assimilation as as- country process us as soon as us the they reach thili |