The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-26

equality with the buyers from other coun-
tries. Before this they were at disad-
vantage. Now the buyer from Paris and
the buyer from Antwerp and the buyer
from Amsterdam must all go to London to
get their rough diamonds, and they buy
on the same terms as the buyer from the
United States. Under these conditions,
think there is a hopeful outlook for the
diamond-cutting industry in the United
States. The duty of 10 per cent, diamond
cutters say, is enough to protect them
against foreign competition. OF course,
any manufacturer would like to have
twice the necessary duty in his favor;
it would increase his profits. But dia-
mond cutters seem to think that they do
not need more than 10 per cent"
The diamond-cutters thought differently
before they had had their experience with
the Wilson law. When the duty of % per
cent. was levied number of foreign dia-
mond-cutters came to this country to es-
tablish themselves under the impression
that they must get the advantage of the
% per cent. protection if they were to hold
their own in the American market. The
American market for diamonds is the
greatest in the world But the newcomers
have not had the pleasant experience they
expected. In the first place, they had to
meet the complaint that they were bring
ing i'm contract laborers. And after they
had settled that question with the Secre-
tdrY Oh lnC treasury 70 lu6lI SdllSAdGtAoAi,
they discovered that the diamond impor-
ters were undersellng them in defiance of
the high protective duty. Suspicion that
the importers were smuggling diamonds
in large quantities became certainty when
some important seizures were made, and
they tell me at the treasury that the seiz-
ures of diamonds under the Wilson law
in the last two years have been greater
than they ever were under any other law
in the same period of time. The most i'm
portant of these seizures were made
through the efforts of agents of the treas
ury abroad. These agents reported to the
customs house officers that certain i'm
porters had been buying heavily in the for
eign markets. When the importers landed
and did not declare the diamonds they
were known to have bought, they were
carefully searched and the diamonds were
seized and confiscated.
They say at the treasury that the SNUG
Cling of diamonds rs the most serious
violation of the customs law. Ten thou
sand dollars worth of diamonds can be
held in a mans mouth or in the hollow
of his hand. They can be put in a pack
age two inches long, one and one-half
inches broad and a quarter of an inch
thick; and the customs officers have
known cases where such package was
concealed under a porous plaster on
mans back. OF course, the customs Of
fcer would never think of looking on
mans back for struggled goods unless he
had some reason to suspect him, and that
reason would arise from one of two causes
because the treasury had received warn
ing from one of its agents abroad or
from some spiteful friend or enemy of the
smuggler. or because the smuggler be-
trayed symptoms of nervousness.
In a memorable case in which warning
had been received the customs officers
found a number of diamonds imbedded in
1tfrar1l rtsa rnrffa a 60
had some gems. They were concealed in
the artificial grapes on the trimmings OF
her hat Under ordinary conditions there
was not one chance in a thousand that
they would have been discovered.
one of the stories of the New York Gus
tom house is of a professional who fooled
the officers so often that they came to have
a graet admiration for him. Time after
time they would get information from
abroad that he had made large purchases
of diamonds for the American market, and
they would be on the lookout for him when
he arrived in New York. But search as
they would, they could not find the dia-
monds. They not only felt of his gar
ments, but they even cut the seams of his
! coat so as to examine the inside of the
lining. Hollow heels are common depos-
itories for diamonds, so they split the heels
from his shoes and took the so.es off layer
by layer. But all 20 no effect. Long aft
CrWdru they discovered MS SYSTEM. lie d.
ways had a stateroom 70 himself or shared
il with the wife. Going aboard the ship he
sawed a hole in the flooring of his room
and concealed the diamonds there. He
engaged the same room for the return trip.
| When the ship was TO sail his wife ac-
companied him to the dock and went with
him TO his state room aboard ship. There
the diamonds were transferred TO her; she
returned with them to the city and sold
them, and later she Joined her husband on
the other side.
Women have been known to conceal
gems in their hair, wrapped ian tissue
paper of the same color of the hair
Stones are often put In old settings and
brought In as family jewels. Sometimes
they are worn. Smuggers not infrequent-
" meet some American In London or
Paris who can be persuaded to help them
in a trick OF this kind and who thinks
Il smart TO beat the government" IL Is
said that carrier pigeons are sometimes
used to smuggle diamonds into this coun-
try from Canada-probably the most wall
liable messages" ever carried by birds
Much OF the smuggling done under the
old law was done by amateurs-men who
wanted 10 bring little presents 20 their
wives. Under the existing law. more OF
Il has been done by professional men
diamond dealers who have been willing 70
risk prosecution for perjury and the pos
sible conhscation Of their gems 20 save
. per cent on their value. Under the
new law there viii be less inducement
10 fraud and the treasury officers are look
ing for a much larger revenue from dia-
monds than they have had since 1894
BY the way. did you ever think OF the
decrease OF the diamonds owned in this
country which a reduction On the rate
of duty will cause7 London sets the price
for diamonds. n the American importer
has 90 pay only 10 per cent Instead of g5
per cent on imnortations then dollars
worth Of diamonds from London which
was worth Si.25 under the old law viii be
worth only S.iO Ga this country under the
new law. This means that n the dia-
monds owned iu the United states now
are worth S225.0o0000 with tho duty al e5
per cent, they will be worth only g2iOOn0
no with the duty az 10 per ccnt-a differ.
once OF gfs 600 OOo