The task of directing the work of the representative of the two Councils at the Ports of Entry was given to a "Committee of Six" composed of three persons chosen from the "Immigrant Work Committee" of the Home Missions Council, and three from the "Committee of Missionary Interests Among the Immigrants" of the Council of Women.
In accordance with the policy and program proposed by the "Committee of Six" the time of the secretary was spent mainly in touch with the missionary work and workers at the Ports of Entry in Philadelphia, Boston and Ellis Island. Conferences were held with representatives of the Federal Government and agents and workers of various societies working with the Immigrant, including the Commissioners and Assistant Commissioners at the Ports mentioned, Mr. Green of the Federal Information Bureau, representatives of the Y. M. C. A., and Y. W. C. A. City and International Committees, the W. C. T. U., the Committee for Immigrants of America, the North American Civic League, the Travelers' Aid, the Immigrant Guide and Transfer Agency, and with missionaries working at these Ports.
These interviews and conferences revealed:
1. The fact that organization and cooperation in this work is almost universally regarded as essential to the permanent establishment of any large service for the Immigrant, and especially is this true of the missionary work. It is quite generally regarded that lack of system is a great hindrance to the comprehensive effectiveness of this very important phase of the service rendered for the arriving Immigrant.
2. All other Societies and Agencies have rather definitely systematized their work. This fact appeals to the Government officials and enables these Societies to have recognition and consideration by Federal and Municipal authorities and other agencies interested in the formation of any comprehensive scheme for the protection of the Immigrant.
3. In every Port the officials bear fine testimony to the very useful service rendered by the Christian missionaries. But even so their estimate is based on the social and humanitarian side of the work, and not on the spiritual phase of their service.
4. If the Christian missionaries and the religious workers were withdrawn from this service at the Ports of Entry, it would be like withdrawing the sun from the heavens.
The activities involved in this service are as varied as the duties of a missionary in any other field of work. They must clothe the naked, visit the sick, comfort the sorrowing, cheer the despondent, give courage to the hesitating, frightened stranger, care for the dying, and sometimes minister at the burial service. They read to the illiterate, write letters and supply papers and literature. Indeed, they must be voice, ears, hands and feet; even heart and soul to hundreds and thousands of these children from the old world, now babes in a new life.
The true spirit of harmony, brotherly kindness, and heart sympathy filled with the spirit of power of Christian love, characterizes their work. Nothing else could fulfil its mission. It is also very evident that the full potential value of this work has not yet been actualized. This part of the missionary service of the Christian Church may be made a much more forceful and fruitful agency in the work of the Kingdom. It ought to be a source and center of greater power in the Home missionary work of our entire country, and can be made an agency of power in our Foreign missionary work. To realize the full measure of the possible power and usefulness of this branch of missionary work, is the central purpose of our task. To accomplish this purpose it was evident that our missionary work should be organized in some comprehensive and definite scheme that would unite practically all the religious forces and represent to the immigrant the heart and spirit of American Christian sentiment, and that would combine in a practical way the work of all Ports of Entry, and also vitally relate this work to all immigrant work inland, aiding and being supplemented by such work. In this way also our missionary work could be related readily to all civic and philanthropic immigrant work in any city or community. The adoption of such plan, because of its being interdenominational in principle and having unselfish ideals, and being practical and comprehensive in its working, would commend itself to the Federal, Civic and Municipal Government authorities. It will commend itself also to the religious communities and societies for the same reasons, and also because of a possible lessening of expense, and of securing larger and more permanent results for the effort and money expended.
A plan of organization was presented by the secretary to the Committee of Six, which was adopted by them and referred to the missionaries at Ellis Island for their consideration. This proposition provided for the appointment of certain committees on the different departments of the missionary work, and for conferences of workers and for relating the work to that of other Ports of Entry, and for uniting the port missionary work to the missionary work inland.