Questions In Commons

British dissatisfaction with the treatment of British subjects at Ellis Island boiled up, not for the first time, in the House of Commons, when Ronald McNeill, Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs, was questioned by several members. Among the specific charges made against the administration of Ellis Island were:

1) That as many as 150 women and children of all nationalities were herded together in one room to sleep.

2) That British immigrants, including cabin passengers, were "incarcerated " and "caged".

3) That two particular women were fed on bread and water.

Commissioner Tod in charge of Ellis Island issued a statement in regard to these charges:

1) That it is true that 150 women and children may be put in one sleeping room, but that the rooms are large and capable of accommodating comfortably from 220 to 330.

2) That the immigration quota law sometimes makes it necessary to detain cabin as well as steerage passengers, but there are generally less than 100 British subjects under detention, very few of whom are cabin passengers. As for cages, wire partitions are placed in the rooms to prevent theft and assault.

3) That the two women specifically mentioned were detained only 24 hours; that bread and water is only meted out to those who assault their fellow immigrants (a Negro was the only one so treated for several weeks); that the menu on the day the two women were at Ellis Island consisted of: prunes, oatmeal with milk, bread, butter and coffee (for breakfast); bean soup, potted beef with vegetables and rice pudding (for dinner); macaroni with tomato sauce, blackberry jelly with tea, coffee or milk (for supper); in addition graham crackers and milk three times a day; that the amount of food served was unlimited.