Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-15
CHINAMEN HAVE DISAPPEARED
Only FOrty-Nine Left of PSI at the
PhiiadeIphin ExpositiOn

W S. Chance, the supervising special
agent of the Treasury Department. has
received report saying that of 2s1 Chinese
taken to the export exposition In PhiladeI-
phia only forty-nine are left. The others
have sought homes in other cities of this
country. and have thus escaped deporta-
ton. The result of this will be a strong,
recommendation by Secretary Gage that
Congress shall not again authorize conces-
slUns to be granted to expOsitions for the
bringing OF Chinese into this country At
every exposition at which this has been
done the Chinese have disappeared and not
one has been depOrted
The trouble is said TO be II II law. The
acts of Congress in case of al these ex-
positions provide that the Treasury De-
p5rtment shall admit such q number Of
Chinese as the manager of the exposition
and the cpncesSionaire deem necessary The
Treasury is not authorized to fix limit
as the law provides that not over 4;a shall
he admitted In the case of Philadelphia
Manager Wilson and You Phou Lee who
had been granted the concession, advised
the Treasury that 100 Chinese would be
brought in. Up to this time 2S1 have been
brought in, with the results stated. The
remainder are looked for at any time. and
the customs officials viii be compelled 20
admit all whose names nave been sent TO
the immigration officials at San Francisco
Notwithstanding it is Well known that they
being turned loose on the country.
The law says that the Chinese brought
in shall be dePcrted within three months
after the close of the exposition, but fixes
nc manner in which this can be enforced
The Treasury can deport the Cinnamon If
they are ever caught. but it is doubtful II
a single one will ever be discovered. Photo
graphs and descriptions, with names. We're
taken at San Francisco, but these will be
useless.
The man responsible IJr this defiance Of
Treasury and other laws Is Yon Phou Lee.
He had the concession "a Nashville and for
other eXpOstiOns. He is a deep and willy
p;gtail citizen. Every Chilaman he had at
the Nashville exposition disappeared COM
Pletely and not one was depOrted. Lee
smiled, and when Congress gave the same
privilege to the Philadelphia exposition he
hitd himself there and secured the con-
CeSsiOn The Treasury IS pOwerless to
handle Lee, but Mr.. Chance has written to
the collector of customs at Philadelphia to
confer with the district attorney there to
see if anything can he done in regard to
the matter.
There are vague hints that Lee is the
agent of Chinese companies in San Fran
cisco. These companies are backed by
highlander and other organizations. When
a concession Is obtained, like that at Phila-
az lphla. the Chinese companies go to Hong
Kong and other places and put a price OF
something like $-4G on the privilege OF be-
ing brought to the United States. II a
Chinaman cannot pay the money he sells
imself to the company and actually re-
mains slave in this country until he can
make enough money to pay his way to free
dom These matters are denied by China
men and the Treasury officials have no way
Of proving them. but it < fully believed that
this process Is followed IN such cases,
1t Is stated that Cinnamon will continue
- come in and remain Is long as Congress
permits expositions to have exhibits OF
them.