Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-02

reasons, II no others: though there has
been no public or official expression of such
a. desire. There is certainly no fear of any
resentment should the United States make
the conditions for entering that country ex-
tremeiy severe.
The American immigration law of last
year has checked the movement of undesir-
able people toward the United States but
not to such degree as seems satisfactory
or desrab bic, and there is a general impress
sion among those whose business it is to di-
rect this human tide that the present en-
forcement of the law Is not quite strict
as it was in the few months following its
enactment.
Ways Of Evading Alien Laws.
There are many ways of evading being
classed as an alien, and the principal of
these is to use American certificates of nat
uralization. While it is difficult to prove,
owing to the very conditions under which
they are issued, it is known that certified
copies or even original certificates are sent
from the United States by those who have
secured them there and used by people to
whom they do not belong. With a certifi-
cate of naturalization which has to be ac-
cepted as prima facie evidence of a right
to go to the United States, passport can
be secured from the American embassies
or legations, and, armed with a certificate
and passport, the American can go to the
land of his adoption, no matter what his
physical COHQlIlOn anu no matter now UNI
desirable he might be as possible addition
to the popula ton.
1t has been suggested that the naturali-
cation papers issued in the United States
should be made of more formal character
and contain some data by which the orgi-
nal owner can be identified. This might be
IN the form of photograph or descrip-
tlon OF measurements and marks. 1t would
be impossible to use such a document as
this for the admission of another person.
1t would be no reflection upon the charac-
ter of the new citizen; 1t would be merely
a measure for the protection of the country
which had bestowed the citizenship privi-
lege upon him. The photograph system is
used now in issuing certain kinds of passes
by railroads and other transportation COM
panies 1t was used in issuing. passes to
the centennial exposition in Philadelphia,
and was the means of preventing a large
amount of illegal traffic in admissions.
Mr.. SINNERS recent trip to Abyssinia,
which attracted world wide attention. while
diplomatic in character, was for the pur-
pose of improving trade relations between
that country and the United States. While
such trips are important and are necessary
in dealing with countries of that character,
the crying need of the American foreign
trade is direct lines of steamers to all the
great ports of the world. Marseille is the
entrepot for 90 per cent of the commerce of
France, and yet there is no direct line of
steamers from this place to the United
States.
Direct Lines Needed.
The merchants of France who are inter-
ested in the trade with America would well
come direct freight line, and the enor-
nous travel between Mediterranean and
American ports would seem to warrant a
first-class steamship line, such as those
which are operating between New York
and the ports of the English channel. The
export trade of Marseille to the United
States is not really credited to its place of
origin, for vessel takes on part of it's
cargo here and then goes to Genoa, Naples
or some other place, sailing from there to
New YORK. Goods reaching the United
States in that manner are credited to the
last port of departure. This is shown by
the unofficial figures collected by Consul
General Skinner, independently of any Off
cial returns, either French or American. In
TOUR years the exports from Marseille to
the United States have risen from a little
over 100000 to 100000 per annum 1t
is impossible to get the figures of Ameri-
can importations for the reason that goods
are landed at other ports and transshipped
here, the first port of deStinat ton being
given credit for all the American trade
The figures thereof cannot be obtained in
the United States, and French statistics are
VIGOROUSLY inaccurate and deficient.
The so-called American invasion of Eu-
rope is not taken very seriously as yet by
the people of this part of the world. Their
trade is holding its own in fairly salts
factory manner, and it is only the American
novelties, such as agricultural machinery,
typewriters, tools and articles of this de-
scription, which are finding an increasing
market. Transportation is at the bottom of
all commercial movement and American
trade is apparently so volatile that 1t fol-
lows the line of least resistance as other
nations may seem to provide for carving
1t. When the commercial interests of the
United States get seriously to work to Law
American goods down at the door of the
European consumer by direct facilities there
will be real cause for alarm on the part of
the European producer. Marseille is but
one of a number of great commercial cities
which are reached by American trade only
in the most indirect manner.
J. d. WHELPLEY