From: Joseph Morabito [Email him]
While rummaging through the New York Times archives, I found an editorial that reflected the sentiment of the time. I've attached the text of the editorial and a JPG image of the most relevant portion of the piece. If it weren't for the VDARE.COM audience, I wouldn't have anyone to share these items with.
See previous letters from Joseph Morabito.
February 11, 1921
Surgeon General Cumming tells the House Immigration Committee that 9,799 of 10,002 landed at Ellis Island in the last six months of 1920, and certified by the Public Health Service as unable to earn their living because of physical defects or actual disease, were admitted by immigration authorities. Surgeon General Cumming is a responsible official. His statements in this matter are authoritative. It is for the immigration officers involved to dispute them successfully, if they can.
What is the use of proposing new immigration laws if the existing law is violated in this wholesale way? The Surgeon General says that the effect of these alleged unlawful and dangerous admissions on the morale of the Public Health Service has been bad. Naturally; but the effect upon the public health is likely to be worse and much more important.
It appears to the settled practice of the immigration officials to let in as many immigrants as they can and to deport as few as they can. If the letter of the law has been so scandalously disobeyed in the case of these diseased or physically disqualified immigrants, the officials responsible should be discharged. An immigration service that defies the Immigration law and welcomes tenderly the classes of persons it is necessary to exclude is intolerable. The Surgeon General says that 50 of 112 persons certified as mentally defective were admitted, and 167 of 536 persons certified to be affected with “dangerous or loathsome diseases." If these figures and facts are correct, they indicate a singular slate of mind in immigration officialdom.
