Armstrong – Table of Contents

no provisions for pre-arrival examinations for immigrants. The flow of immigrants
decreased significantly during the war years, 1914-1918. After the war, in order to
alleviate the disruption of families and inconvenience to immigrants caused by refusal of
entry to the United States, the Congress (7) passed the Immigration Act of 1924. This Act
legislated the provision of medical inspection for prospective emigrants at the time of
visa application at United States Consular Offices abroad. This plan was actually put in
place (8) in 1925, initially in Great Britain and the Irish Free State, and was extended
later to include the major United States Consulates in Western Europe and Italy.
Charles Armstrong served at Ellis Island for six weeks before being transferred to
duty with the United States Coast Guard (9). The time was late 1916 when the United
States was slowly drifting into a state of war with Germany (World War I, April 2, 1917);
the United States shared outrage with Great Britain, France and their allies because of
Germany’s policy of unrestricted submarine warfare against ships of all nations dealing
with Germany’s enemies. Armstrong’s new assignment took him to the Curtis Bay Coast
Guard Depot in Baltimore Harbor, Maryland and to the Coast Guard Cutter ITASKA.
The Itaska was in dry dock being repaired and equipped for sea duty. Before the repairs
were complete, another Coast Guard Cutter, the SENECA was ready for sea. This ship
needed a medical officer, so Armstrong was transferred to the Seneca. She was actually a
more suitable ship for handling medical care than the Itaska. The Seneca was roomier, of
1200 tons displacement and contained a well-stocked and equipped sick bay with 2
bunks. She was armed for anti-submarine warfare in anticipation of the impending
belligerency.