54
THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM
nals, especially those who have committed certain
classes of serious crimes, such as forgery or even
burglary, may be well drest, intelligent persons, travel
ing in first cabin. Unless something is known of their
previous history, if they do not declare that they have
been convicted of crime, they will be admitted without
question. Doubtless many aliens enter the United
States contrary to the law after having been convicted
of a crime, and having served out their sentence; or,
having been convicted of crime by foreign courts dur
ing their absence from the place of trial, as is permitted
in some countries, if they have escaped arrest and fled
the country. Moreover, our laws do not exclude per
sons who have not been convicted of crime altho they
may be looked upon as dangerous persons or probably
criminals and on that account have been placed by
their home courts under police surveillance.
The Immigration Commission,* in order to make
as careful a study as possible of this most important
question within the means at its disposal, took into
careful account the material collected by the United
States Census on the extent of crime, going through
carefully the latest report regarding prisoners and
juvenile delinquents in institutions in 1904. In addi
tion to this, use was made of the records of the County
and Supreme Courts of New York State, from 1907
to 1908, of the New York City Magistrates Courts,
1901-1908, and of the New York Court of General
Sessions, October 1, 1908 to June 30, 1909, the ma
terial in this last case having been especially collected
by agents of the Commission.
Furthermore, the records of commitments to penal
institutions in Massachusetts, October 1, 1908, and
Reports of Immigration Commission, Vol. 36.