In March or April of last year notice was received in Rome that the
bureau was to be discontinued in fifteen days. The minister of foreign
affairs, the Marquis Visconti Venosta, immediately made a protest to me,
and I think also through his embassy at Washington. I wrote in regard to
the subject in my dispatch No. 158, dated April 2, 1898. The result of
that communication was the temporary revocation of the order of
abolishment. If it be really intended now to renew the order, I venture
to suggest that it would be most wise to explain to the Italian
Government in advance the reasons for such a step, so that it may not
seem to them an arbitrary act on our part. I am sure that the Marquis
Visconti Venosta is desirous that our immigration laws should be
respected in letter and in spirit, and I have always found him ready to
consider favorably every suggestion that has been made by us to
accomplish this result. I trust that the matter may receive the especial
attention of the Department of State.
[Inclosure.]
The Minister for Foreign
Affairs to Mr. Draper.
I deem it my duty to recall the attention of your excellency to
certain statements made on February 10 last by Mr. Powderly,
Commissioner-General of Immigration in the United States, before the
Industrial Commission appointed by Congress and sitting in
Washington.
Mr. Powderly having been called upon to speak of the Italian
immigration office, formerly established on Ellis Island and now in
the Barge Office, declared that he had once already resolved to
close said office, having reason to believe that the managing agents
of same were in the habit of establishing communications with
immigrants prior to the inspection of the latter by the Federal
authorities, with the object of aiding the same to evade the United
States laws on immigration. I fail to see how Mr. Powderly could
have been led to make such a statement, considering that no
complaint, supported by proofs, was ever made against the Italian
office, and that Chevalier Rossi, director of the same, had
repeatedly proved, in the presence of Mr. Powderly himself, that the
conduct of the Italian agents had ever been strictly correct under
every aspect.
It is quite true that down to a year ago said agents were enabled,
through the tacit and friendly assent of the Federal authorities of
Ellis Island, to approach immigrants before the latter had received
permission to land; but this never gave rise to any complaint, and
still less to the abuses to which Mr. Powderly recently thought fit
to refer. Had such not been the case, any drawback, however slight,
would undoubtedly not have been overlooked when it was proposed,
upward of a year ago, to close the Italian office. Moreover, it
should be specially remembered that for the last year the Italian
agents, acting on strict instruction received from the royal embassy
at Washington, have abstained from approaching immigrants unless the
same shall have received permission to land. Furthermore, Mr.
Powderly has stated that he has heard it repeated that the Italian
office was connected with the padrone system; adding, in support of
such statement, that a certain Celso Cesare Moreno, resident in
Washington, had assured him that the Italian office was simply an
agency of the padrones and that many of the things related to him by
Moreno, a well-informed person, he had found to be true.
I can not refrain from expressing my sense of wonder that Mr.
Powderly, an officer vested with high authority, should have founded
his statements on the testimony of said Moreno, an individual who,
three years ago, on the action of the Washington Government, was
tried and condemned to three months’ imprisonment for libel against
the Italian ambassador to the United States, his predecessors, and
in general against nearly all of the diplomatic and consular
authorities in said Republic for having asserted that the same were
agents of the padrones residing in New York. Mr. Powderly closed his
statement on this matter in the following terms:
“I believe that when our building is erected in Ellis Island we shall
be able to take care of every immigrant, and see that he is
comfortably lodged and assisted without requiring the aid of any
other institution. This shall in fact be done.”
It is needless for me to recall the fact that the Italian office was
established by joint agreement of the royal embassy at Washington
and the United States Government; nor can I understand why Mr.
Powderly should consider himself authorized to declare in such an
explicit and peremptory manner that said office is to be closed at
any date whatsoever.
From a sense of discretion, which will be readily appreciated, I
shall not attempt to discuss the statements made by Mr. Powderly. Be
it the duty of the United States Government to sift them and
determine the degree of importance to be attributed to the same.
The royal embassy at Washington will be simply instructed by me to
represent in a friendly manner to the Federal Government how
beneficial and disinterested in its action the Italian office has
proved, and how every care is taken at all times that nothing be
done which is not in accordance with the local laws on immigration.
The upright character of Chev. Rossi, director of the office, and
the sincerity of the instructions received by him from the royal
embassy at Washington, leave me no room to doubt that all cause for
misunderstanding will shortly be removed, and that the benevolent
efforts of the Italian office will at no time meet with any obstacle
to their free development.
As your excellency is aware of the efforts made by the King’s
Government to regulate in a satisfactory manner the tide of
immigration toward the United States, I should consider it highly
important if you would kindly communicate your own views on the
matter to your Government.
I tender this request with full confidence in the result, and the
firm conviction
[Page 413]
that the
Italian office of Ellis Island is worthy of every support, because
it is honestly managed, and of like usefulness to the interests of
both countries.
I take this opportunity, etc.,
G. Fusinato,
The Under Secretary of
State.
