338 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



opinion of the Supreme Court handed down by Justice Day on January 

 7, 1907, in the case of Charles Zartirian vs. George B. Billings, Com- 

 missioner of Immigration at Boston. Here the Supreme Court decided 

 that a naturalized citizen's child was not a citizen and was properly 

 excluded because it was suffering from trachoma, a disease subject to 

 mandatory exclusion. The opinion stated that 



The petitioner's child, having been born and remained abroad, clearly does 

 not come under the statute. She was debarred from entering the United States 

 by the action of the authorized officials, and, never having legally landed, of 

 course could not have dwelt in the United States. Congress has not said that an 

 alien child who has never dwelt in the United States coming to join a naturalized 

 parent, may land, when afflicted with a dangerous contagious disease. 



The Zartirian case and the Palayes case are just parallel. The Su- 

 preme Court decided that the Zartirian child should be excluded. The 

 Secretary of Commerce and Labor decided that the Palayes child should 

 be admitted. 



Space is insufficient to dwell further on the loopholes in the deporta- 

 tion of these cases, or to discuss possible improvements in the deporta- 

 tion law. A factor which is far from inconsiderable is that many cases 

 legally subject to deportation, within three years of landing, are not 

 reported to the proper officials. It is earnestly to be hoped that a 

 thoroughly efficient primary medical examination of arriving immi- 

 grants may be augmented and reenforced by a strict administration of 

 the deportation laws. 



Recapitulation 



The subject of public health is of most pertinent and vital interest. 

 Immigration is an influential factor in the physical, mental and social 

 health of the United States. From the standpoint of the public health, 

 it is absolutely essential to exclude unsound immigrants, and the second 

 line of defence against them is a rigid administration of the deportation 

 law. How best to exclude unsound immigrants is a new and pressing 

 problem of the public health. 



