ment. They recognize the passport as an international document and recognize a visé on that passport as indicating that a person is going to the United States and will not stop in their own countries. The French, for instance, will not let a Pole or an Austrian or anyone else come into France who is a migrant unless they are assured officially they are going to leave France. The CHAIRMAN. They regard their stay in France as temporary. Mr. HUDDLE. Yes, sir. Mr. RAKER. That covers all the southeastern and eastern country and the country east of France. The CHAIRMAN. We will have to suspend the hearing, and if we discuss this again we will send for you, Mr. Porter. (Whereupon, at 12.15 o'clock p. m., the committee adjourned.) COMMITTEE ON IMMIGRATION AND NATURALIZATION, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, The committee this day met, Hon. Albert Johnson (chairman) presiding. The CHAIRMAN. The committee will be in order. Mr. Doughten, when we adjourned Saturday we had not completed asking you two or three questions, and I would like to take them up with you now. I will ask you now to make a statement in regard to the immigrant situation from Italy, what knowledge you have as to the regulations of the Italian Government, with a view to keeping the immigrants within the quota limits, and keeping their passports within the quota limits. STATEMENTS OF MR. WILBUR J. CARR, DIRECTOR, CONSULAR SERVICE, STATE DEPARTMENT, MR. J. P. DOUGHTEN, CHIEF OF THE VISÉ OFFICE, AND MR. J. K. HUDDLE, AMERICAN CONSUL DETAILED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF STATE. Mr. DOUGHTEN. They have in Italy a bureau of emigration. They limit their passports to the number of the quota. They have, as Mr. Mariani calls it, a big book, in which they put down the names of those who apply, and they are given their passports in the order of their application. Anyone who comes under section 2D of the act is held up until the quota is completed, because they would take the place of an ordinary immigrant, an ordinary quota immigrant. The CHAIRMAN. Those in the quota are given the first chance, and passports are withheld so that no exempt one might be called. Mr. DOUGHTEN. Exactly. This gentleman has in his district an immigrant who is an American citizen, and he married an Italian woman. She had had difficulty because she could not leave Italy. She can do it now, because the Italians know that she would be permitted to enter on arrival. They will not give her a passport until the quota is completed. It is completed, and there is nothing to be gained by holding her up any longer. Mr. RAKER. How do you figure that the wife receives the exemption under the present law? Mr. DOUGHTEN. She does not. Mr. RAKER. She can not be admitted until another quota is available? Mr. DOUGHTEN. No; but I believe it is the practice to parole on arrival such women to their husbands. Mr. RAKER. The practice, then, is to violate the law? Mr. DOUGHTEN. They give them, I believe, temporary admission. The CHAIRMAN. Wives of American citizens by that plan? Mr. DOUGHTEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. In regard to this big book, have you secured any statements? Mr. DOUGHTEN. Mariani tells me they have 250,000 names of aliens now on that book who desire passports to proceed to this country. The CHAIRMAN. Did he say how long they have been gathering that list of names? Mr. DOUGHTEN. I imagine since May, 1921. The CHAIRMAN. That is the accumulation of names beyond the number of passports they have been able to give? Mr. DOUGHTEN. Exactly; yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. Holding the passports to those who are not exempt? Mr. DOUGHTEN. Yes, sir. Mr. RAKER. Did the Italian Government send to the United States an order that all employees of Italians who were not Italians should be discharged and Italians put in their place? Mr. DOUGHTEN. I did not see that. Mr. Box. Is that official? Mr. RAKER. I got it from the newspaper. I do not know that it is official or not. I just read it yesterday. Mr. DOUGHTEN. It is very interesting. Mr. RAKER. Yes; it is. The CHAIRMAN. Mr. Doughten has submitted for the use of the committee copies of blanks of the declaration of the alien about to depart to the United States, Form 228. That is an application for a visé ? Mr. DOUGHTEN. That is what it is, sir. The CHAIRMAN. That will be inserted in the record. (The paper referred to is as follows:) [Form No. 228. Established July, 1917, and amended August, 1920.] DECLARATION OF ALIEN ABOUT TO DEPART FOR THE UNITED STATES. am about to go to the United States of America, accompanied by and photographs of whom are attached thereto.) I was born (Names of persons included in declarant's passport, at as shown by letters or affidavits attached hereto and filed at the consulate. I have previously resided in the United States as follows: (Dates.) My references are: (Object of visit.) (Address.) (Business address in the United States.) (In the consular district where the declaration is made.) I have informed myself of the provisions of section 3 of the immigration act of February 5, 1917, and also of the provisions of the present act to limit the immigration of aliens into the United States, now in force, and am convinced that 1 am eligible for admission into the United States thereunder. I realize that if I am one of a class prohibited by law from admission into the United States I will be deported or detained in the United States by immigration authorities, and I am prepared to assume the risk of deportation and of compulsory return in case of my rejection at an American port. I solemnly swear that the foregoing statements are true to the best of my knowledge and belief, and that I fully intend while in the United States to obey the laws and constituted authorities thereof. [Signed photograph of declarant.] Mr. SWOOPE. Who prepared that? Mr. DOUGHTEN. We send those abroad to the consuls. The CHAIRMAN. It is Application Form No. 228. There are two forms with that number, and the latest one will be inserted. these forms has a statement as to the Army service. One of Mr. DOUGHTEN. The Army service was omitted in the last one. We feel that the war is over, and we are not interested as to which Army he served in. In other words, the fact that a German served in the Army, we do not consider as anything against him now. Mr. Box. The one that will be inserted is the latest one? Mr. DOUGHTEN. Yes, sir. The CHAIRMAN. He certifies he realizes that if he is one of a class prohibited by law that he will be deported, and so on. Without objection the mimeograph sheet of information for persons desirous of having alien relatives proceed to the United States will be inserted in the record. Mr. FREE. That printed information is given to every person coming into the United States? Mr. DOUGHTEN. Yes, sir. (The paper referred to is as follows:) INFORMATION FOR PERSONS DESIROUS OF HAVING ALIEN RELATIVES OR FRIENDS PROCEED TO THE UNITED STATES. Attention is called to the regulations in effect concerning the viséing of passports of aliens desirous of proceeding to the United States from foreign countries. In order to avoid lengthy delays, the following procedure should be carefully followed: Many aliens, now living abroad and desirous of coming to the United States, have friends and relatives in this country who are anxious that they should 85675-24-SER 2-A 3 come to America. The friends and relatives in the United States should write the aliens, informing them of these regulations and advising them to follow explicitly the following instructions: 1. The aliens abroad should obtain passports from the foreign government to which they owe allegiance. 2. They should present these passports in person to the American commissioner or consular officer in the district abroad where they now reside. At the office of the commissioner or consular officer they should make an application for a visé permitting them to proceed to the United States. They should take with them three small photographs and present letters or affidavits from friends or relatives in this country setting forth details as to the latters' citizenship status, length of residence in this country, relationship to applicants, age and citizenship of applicants, reason the applicants desire to come to the United States, whether the applicants are self-supporting and the ability and willingness of the relative to care for them properly upon arrival. The fee for preparing the alien's declaration or application is $1 and the fee for the visé is $9. These fees must be paid by the alien to the American com-missioner or consular officer abroad. The present regulations provide that no alien whose passport does not bear the visé stamped thereon by an American commissioner or consular officerabroad, will be allowed entry into the United States. Visés should be obtained from the American commissioner or consular officer nearest the alien's place of residence. Under the regulations, the American commissioners and consular officers in all foreign countries have been instructed in detail as to those applicants to whom visés are to be granted and those applicants to whom visés are to berefused. It is important to note that cases should not be taken up with the Department of State by persons in this country, but the aliens themselves should make the application direct to the American commissioner or consular officer abroad. The CHAIRMAN. I wanted to ask the other gentleman before we start with Mr. Carr, something about the methods of the United States Public Health Service in foreign countries relative to the departure of ships. Is that where they stepped into the matter? What is the whole procedure? Can you tell us briefly? Mr. HUDDLE. It might be possible, Mr. Chairman, and gentlemen,. to draw an analogy between the permission granted a vessel to depart to the United States, and an individual to depart for the United States, because the vessel and the individual must conform to certain requirements laid by the United States, in order to get such. permission. It is a fact that the United States Public Health Service assigns its officers abroad, whose duties are to see that the quarantine regulations of the United States, laid down by law and the Treasury Department, are absolutely complied with, and the public health officer in conjunction with the consul abroad, have authority,. if he deems it advisable, to withhold a bill of health, possession of which enables the vessel to clear for the United States in due and regular order. The vessel incidentally is not prevented, by withholding the bill of health, from departure for the United States.. It may depart without it, depart without the document, but explanations will be necessary on this side should it arrive without such bill. As I say, it is possible, therefore, that officials abroad might be designated with the consent presumably of foreign governments to take care of such immigration questions as our laws might require them to handle. The CHAIRMAN. Now, then, the release of a ship by the United States health authorities, acting under quarantine law, is by arrangement or consent of other governments, is it not? Mr. HUDDLE. I should hesitate to make a general statement along those lines which would cover all cases. I am afraid that in some cases it is only by tacit consent, if by consent at all. The public health officers, who incidentally represent a well-organized service, do not have a diplomatic status abroad. In other words, their presence is not officially recognized by foreign governments. They are permitted, you might say, perhaps (I make my remarks subject to such correction from one who is more thoroughly familiar with the situation might wish to give)—their status might be considered. as one of sufferance, in many instances. Am I right, Mr. Carr? Mr. CARR. You are quite right. The CHAIRMAN. Do these medical officers examine ships for certain lines of diseases known as dangerous diseases, recognized by various countries, or do they examine them for anything they want to? Mr. HUDDLE. The examinations are subject absolutely to the American quarantine laws and regulations of the Treasury Department. The question of international relations does not come into the matter. The proposition is on foot to have an international bill of health and international rules and regulations covering such issuance, but nothing has come of it as yet. At the present time we maintain our regulations are supreme, and the vessels must conform to those. The Public Health Service is obliged to see that a vessel is clean or fumigated, that there is no danger from rats on board, and so on, before he can issue a bill of health. The CHAIRMAN. You think that acting on the same plan that officials of the Immigration Service could be placed at foreign ports to make sure that emigrants were in proper health. Mr. HUDDLE. I said, in introducing my remarks, that it might be possible to draw an analogy and go further and say it could not be done without a considerable amount of preliminary negotiation. The CHAIRMAN. It would be done through sufferance, probably. Mr. HUDDLE. In a great many countries, undoubtedly, it could. I know from my own experience in Poland, at least through informal representations from Polish authorities-I could not say I know—I should say I feel that the Poles would welcome such an arrangement. They might cooperate with it. I can say that as my own personal viewpoint, and probably other countries would adopt the same attitude, but to say definitely and certainly, I can not do that. The CHAIRMAN. Do you know if any other countries have objected to our officers being in those countries? Mr. HUDDLE. I believe there have been objections. The CHAIRMAN. Was the objection withdrawn? Mr. HUDDLE. I am not prepared to say that. I think our officers are there under sufferance. The CHAIRMAN. We kept the officers there? Mr. HUDDLE. At least no considerable row has come over it, but I doubt if the objections are fully withdrawn. The CHAIRMAN. I think we are ready for you, Mr. Carr. Mr. SABATH. Section 11 in the immigration law authorizes the Secretary of Labor, directs him to enter into negotiations through. the Department of State with countries whose vessels bring aliens: to the United States, with a view of detailing inspectors of the Immigration Service for duty on vessels carrying emigrants between. foreign ports and ports of the United States. You are familiar with that provision. Do you know whether anything has been done, or any negotiations have been entered into by the Secretary of Labor |