Official communications from two South American Republics, Peru and Paraguay, welcoming Jewish immigration were presented Sunday afternoon at the eighteenth annual meeting of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society of America, held at the Hotel Astor. There were two sessions. The morning session, presided over by Abraham Herman, was devoted to the rendering of annual reports by the officers of the Society and election of directors. John L. Bernstein was in the chair during the afternoon session. Representatives of 150 Jewish fraternal organizations, benevolent societies, and philanthropic institutions, including a number from other cities, and annual contributors to the Hias were present. Senator Royal S. Copeland was the principal speaker.
James Bernstein, Jacob H. Cohen, Philip Hersh, Leon Kamaiky, Mrs. Leon Kamaiky, Jacob J. Lesser, Rev. H. Masliansky, Albert Rosenblatt, Ezekiel Sarasohn, B. Shelvin, B. C. Vladeck and Morris Weinberg were elected directors for three years.
The communication from Paraguay, signed by Consul General William Wallace White, read:
MESSAGE FROM PARAGUAY GOVERNMENT
“The Government of Paraguay is animated by the kindliest sentiments toward all able bodied persons coming into the country and willing to work in order to succeed. I am enabled to assure you that the Jewish people having given abundant proof that the race has a capacity for work and an enthusiasm for progress, immigrants of this race will be well received in Paraguay.”
The communication from Peru was in the form of a cable from that government’s Commissioner of Immigration approving the establishment at Lima, the chief port of Peru, of a branch of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society.
This cable was supplemented by a letter from the Peruvian Consul Edwardo Higginson in which he said:
PERU WELCOMES HIAS WORK
“I will consider it a privilege to be of any assistance toward the successful establishment of the Hebrew Sheltering and Immigrant Aid Society in the Republic of Peru.”
Abraham Herman, president of the Hias, stated that the communications from Peru and Paraguay referred to work Hias has begun in conjunction with the Jewish Colonization Association of Paris, the Ica, and the United Jewish Emigrant Aid Committees of Europe, the Emigdirekt with headquarters in Berlin, to facilitate the migration of large numbers of Jews to countries other than the United States, including South Africa and Australia, in addition to the South American Republics.
Under an agreement which became effective on March 1st, the three organizations are establishing a chain of centers stretching across Europe, designed to prepare Jews forced to leave their native lands because of economic necessity, race-prejudice and discrimination, to establish themselves on a self-supporting basis in the lands in which they settle and integrate themselves with the life of those countries, he stated.
At the centers in Europe, advice will be given to prospective immigrants as to the conditions prevailing in the countries to which they plan to go, instructions will be given in the rudiments of the language spoken there, and in some trade or vocation adapted to the life of the country.
In the lands of immigration, the new arrivals will be met by representatives of the combined immigrant aid societies, sheltered and given language and vocational training. Employment will be found for the immigrants or loans advanced, and classes will be conducted to enable them to learn and understand the laws and customs of the country, Mr. Herman declared.
$500,000 CAMPAIGN LAUNCHED
Mr. Herman announced that to defray the cost of this work, which can not be met out of the regular budget of the three organizations, a campaign will immediately be launched to raise $500,000 in America. John L. Bernstein, former president of Hias, is the Campaign Chairman. The Philadelphia branch of the organization, Mr. Herman stated, had already accepted a quota of $50,000. The Rose N. Lesser Auxiliary of Hias has organized a women’s division for a drive in New York City, headed by Mrs. Leon Kamaiky and Mrs. Harry Fischel. The women’s division will endeavor to raise $50,000 toward a $250,000 quota which has been assigned to this city.
PROTESTS IMMIGRATION RESTRICTIONS
Reporting during the morning session on the immigrant aid work done by Hias in the United States during the past year, Mr. Herman said:
“Legislation introduced in Congress looking towards the admission to this country of wives and children of those who have already declared their intention to become citizens has failed of passage, and this especially cruel situation, one of the most grievous that has resulted from America’s new attitude toward immigration, still remains unalleviated, though we are hopeful that some change may be effected at the next session of Congress.
“We must also continue to protest against and resist the enactment of any law having for its purpose the registration of aliens,” Mr. Herman declared in his report. “The foreign-born in this country have given evidence, in every possible manner, even by the sacrifice of their lives, of their sincere devotion to the land of their adoption. By brain and brawn they have helped to build this country. It is an affront, which must be deeply resented to suggest that the foreign-born in our midst are not wholeheartedly loyal to the country in which they have made their homes and to which they have dedicated not only themselves but their children as well.
“Because of the intricacies and complications of the ‘quota’ law, the work of Hias has become intensified, both in Europe and in this country. The conditions this law imposes create the necessity for special care lest many who set forth may suddenly discover their hope frustrated and become involved in a situation which may well become tragic. Hias has an open door for all, and to its building at 425 Lafayette Street come thousands for advice, counsel and aid before the immigrants in whom they are interested make even the first step on the journey to happiness. Experts in matters of immigration, of citizenship are at their service and without cost.”
SENATOR COPELAND LAUDS HIAS
The new plans of the Hias for immigrant aid work in the South American republics were lauded by Senator Royal S. Copeland, who was given an ovation by the delegates.
“Let us open other stations and other ports of the Western Hemisphere, but let us bring them over here, teach them the respective language of the country, help them to get stationed in agriculture or in the professions or what it may be, but let us strive that this Western Hemisphere be the refuge of those who have suffered socially, or religiously, or politically or for any other reason,” Senator Copeland declared.
“This ought to be the haven where people can have peace and happiness. I am proud to be here and to give my word of cheer and to say that anything that I can do to further your great object, to carry on your great work, I am glad to do either as a private citizen or a Senator of the United States.
“We have now a spasm of restriction of immigration. Where we used to receive in this country about a million persons, we now receive 150,000, and in its last spasms Congress enacted what was known as the National Origins feature of this law. On the first of April of this year, except for a measure which we got through the last few days of Congress–it is a wonder we got anything through because we stayed up nights and Sundays and did nothing–but, except for the measure we got through the last few days of Congress–on the first of April of this year, the President would proclaim that the National Origins feature of the Immigration Law would be put into effect.
CRITICIZES “NATIONAL ORIGINS” PLAN
“What does that mean? I speak of that in some detail here because I think every person of your race and every German and every Irishman and every Scandinavian and every Italian should know the significance of this National Origins feature.
“What does it mean? In 1790 they took a census in this country–the first census. That is a long time ago, 1790. You know how the United States must have been in 1790–very sparsely settled, long distances between the different homes of the people. You can imagine how accurate it was. But upon the census of 1790, unless this is changed in the law, in the future it means that admissions to this country will be based upon the proportions established by the census of 1790.
“What does it show? That 83 percent were English. That means if this law goes into effect in the future. 83 percent of 150,000 persons admitted to this country must be English, and of Jews we will have one tenth of one per cent.
“I want to show you why this National Origins feature is unthinkable. It is unthinkable from my standpoint because of our interest in humanity. But the purpose of it was to keep out the people from Eastern and Southern Europe. I say that deliberately. The purpose of that act was to shut out the Jews and the Italians and the Catholics. That was the intention.
“I want to show you how inaccurate this census of 1790 was. We had a continental army, you know, fighting in the Revolution, and the roles of those various companies contained the names of the soldiers. I take pride in the fact that my great grandfather was enrolled as a soldier in the State of New Hampshire and served in that Continental Army. The rolls are now in the archives in Washington. In 1790 just after the war was over, they took the census. And’ the Irish are finding fault with it because in the State of Pennsylvania, for instance, in the census of of 1790 there was not a single Irishman of that good Irish name Brennan or Brannon to be found in all of Pennsylvania, and so, of course, the theory is that there were no Brennans or Brannon in Pennsylvania in 1790. But in the Continental Army from Pennsylvania there were 41 Brennans. And you take the good Irish name of Cavanaugh. There was none in the census but there were 23 in the Army. There were no Donovans in the census but there were 8 in the Army. There were no Guires in the census but there were 17 in the Army. There were no Mahoneys in the census but 20 in the Army.
“And the McLaughlins–there were 22–and the revolutionary roles are not in the census. Now what does this mean? It means that the census of 1790 is so unreliable that no sane government would ever base an immigration act upon it and this is a feeling that has grown up in Washington since the effort to shut out immigration from Eastern and Southern Europe.
“But we must face the fact that the restriction idea has grown up so thoroughly that it is very doubtful if in the future we can expect any such army of immigrants to come to the United States as came in the old days. I think, therefore, that you are doing very wisely in your effort to open stations in South America and other ports more hospitable than we are in this country,” Senator Copeland declared.
HIAS HELPED 78,940 LAST YEAR
Advice in immigration and citizenship matters were given at the Hias building to 78,940 persons during 1926, according to a report on last year’s activities rendered by Joseph Eron, honorary secretary of the organization. Of these 46,067 came in person and 32,875 applied by mail, the replies to whom required the writing of 34,651 letters; 38,572 inquiries related to the bringing over of relatives; 11.808 to interpretations of the American immigration laws; 3310 on Ellis Island matters; 2,696 on immigration to other countries, and 11,297 on miscellaneous subjects, many having no relation to immigration.
In the course of its service to those seeking to bring relatives here. Mr. Eron reported. Hias last year prepared and notaried 7,520 affidavits for presentation to the proper authorities, and 3,854 petitions for non-quota and preference visas, and translated 1,831 foreign documents.
The Hias staff also prepared and notaried 1,521 applications by alien residents for permission to reenter the United States. Its representatives at the piers met 597 steamers carrying Jewish passengers and 4,861 immigrants were discharged to its custody. Its Ellis Ellis Island Bureau gave advice to 11,666 persons and served 62,629 kosher meals, including special meals on Passover and during the High Holy Days when religious services were conducted under its auspices on the Island. The total number of Jewish arrivals in this country from abroad last year, according to Hias’ records, was 13,976, of whom 10,051 were immigrants and 3,497 non-immigrant aliens.
The bureau which Hias maintains at Washington handled 181 appeals from orders excluding immigrants and argued them before the Board of Review at the Immigration Department. It secured 141 reversals of exclusion orders, according to Mr. Eron’s report. It also handled 1,287 petitions for quota exemption and preference and 507 miscellaneous matters.
Persons who received aid in becoming naturalized in the citizenship bureau maintained by Hias numbered 10,825. This necessitated the verification of 2,433 records of arrival.
One hundred and seventeen sessions of citizenship classes were held in the Hias building during the year.
In its sheltering house department, Hias gave 32,262 meals last year to Jewish transients and homeless and 6,554 nights of shelter, in addition to 11,820 meals and 3,641 nights of shelter to newly-arrived immigrants. It also secured work for 3,990 persons.
HIAS BANK SENT $2,080,627 ABROAD
The Hias Immigrant Bank which is also located in the Lafayette Street Building handled 49,218 remittances totalling $2,080,627 from American citizens and residents to relatives abroad. From May 1925, to October 1926, the organization gave through the Emergency Committee on Jewish Refugees $21,797 for work among Jewish immigrants in Cuba, and $27,000 additional independently of that committee. It also maintains the United Emigration Aid Committees of Europe, known abroad as Emigdirekt, which last year rendered service to 42,774 emigrants destined for all parts of the world.
Harry Fischel, treasurer, reported that the income of Hias mainly from contributions totaled $396,058.86 last year. Expenditures were $395,130.27. Albert Rosenblatt rendered a report as chairman of the membership committee, appealing for increased support of the Society by individuals, fraternial and other organizations and philanthropic federations.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
