The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-11-04
OBJECTIONS OF sMuaeLERs.
Their Motives Discovered Abroad
and OMciaIs Advised.

(fTom the New York Iribune.)
For the last few weeks all the ocean
liners sailing from European ports for New
York have been crowded, and many people
who were negligent about securing return
passage have been compelled to change
their plans by receiving the information
that the ship of their choice was all full y
The majority of the passengers on ocean
steamers combined shopping with sight
seeing while abroad, and the problem OF
how to get the purchases past the custom
house officials without paying duty on them
keeps many passengers thinking for days
en- the homeward trip.
Custom house officers say that many
men and women who would resent any in
situation as to their honesty look upon
smuggling as "all right and think that a
declaration under oath that they have
nothing dutiable in their trunks need not
be positively true so long as only the
Government loses in consequence. Despite
the schemes and plans of the dishonest
passengers who bring perjury permeated
presents from Paris. many seizures have
been made this season, and more goods
have been confiscated than in former sum-
mers. In many instances the detected
smuggler blames himself for having looked
guilty, or for having concealed the laces OF
diamonds in the wrong place, and then re-
wedding outfit through for her daughter
or how Mrs. Brown landed a lot Of furs
'just because she was smart"
In nine cases out of ten the collapse Of
the smuggling scheme was due neither to
the guilty look OF the passenger and his
failure to pack the stuff properly nor to
the vigilance of the customs officers, but
the desire on the part Of a shopkeeper in
Europe to get even"
THE Government has had much aid"
said detective, from the European shop
keepers. When an American woman ap-
pears on the scene and looks his stock
over the Paris dealer does his best to
make a sale. II the woman is simply a
shopper just looking around for a
friend, the storckeeper must grin and bear
it. But when he finds out that Mrs. Amer
lean has made her purchases at a rival es-
Enlistment, and they all have means for
gaining that information, he goes further
and finds out when the woman will sail.
Then he gives the customs authorities a
tip. Tips of that kind are forwarded to
Washington and placed in the hands of
special men. Lots OF gowns furs, jewelry,
and other goods have been stopped at the
steamer piers which would undoubtedly
have slipped through but for the aid re-
ceived from these disgruntled European
merchants and dressmakers. The Govern
ment sometimes receives tips from other
sources also. but the object is usually re-
venge. and the informer invariably hides
behind an assumed name. A specimen
case was that OF a man who wrote the GUS
tom house to look for man on certain
steamer who would have a lot of goods
in his possession which he would try to
bring through. The man came on the
steamer as announced. and, sure enough.
he had big lot of undeclared stuff, and
was put to much trouble and expense be-
fore he got matters Strengthened out. His |
trouble all came from beating another man |
at poker on the trip out"