ONE of the most important facts in connection with Italian emigration is that the questor of each district is slowly and effectually clearing the district of its criminal class by dumping the lot into North and South America, the most dangerous coming to the United States as the best field for their future operations.
Here is the syllogism:—
Since American police records and prison statistics, especially those of the United States secret service, show large and increasing numbers of Italian criminals in this country;
And since the mass of these can enter only by immigration;
And since the emigrant must have a passport from the chief of his local police district;
And since every criminal record is kept in the district in which he was born, and he must go there to get the birth certificate on which he gets his passport;
Then these thousands of passports issued annually to criminals are given by chiefs of police who know the records of the men who are receiving them, and are thus deliberately ridding their districts of them to save themselves trouble, and increase their reputation for efficiency.
That those secret instructions which are issued from Rome to the chief of each district advise any such procedure I do not believe. They do advise, so I have been reliably informed, that passports be not issued to prostitutes easy of detection or to persons over forty-five not accompanied by sons, inasmuch as both classes are very nearly sure to be turned back, and to become a matter of expense to the government. That is the bugaboo of Italian statesmen—expense.