Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-01
BUREAU DEMORALlzED
That Which Relates to Adj
mission of Chinese.
PRESIDENTS ORDER
HAS MADE EXECUTION OF EXCLU-
SION Law DIFFICULT.
Commissioner General Sargent Ex-
plains in Circular the Difficulty
in Administration.

tion which has to do with the exclusion
and admission of Chinese has become de-
moralized as result of the order issued
by the President few weeks ago. This
| much was admitted today by prominent
official of the Department of Commerce AMI
Labor, and all obtainable facts seem to
support this statement. 1t is said that the
employees of the Chinese bureau approach
with great caution the Cinnamon who make
application for admission to the United
States, and IL the applicant maintains
naughty demeanor and declares frgidly
that he is a merchant student" or a
member Of any of the other exempt classes
the immigration employe thereupon be-
comes greatly embarrassed and passes the
applicant with scarcely perfunctory ex-
animation.
Mr.. Frank P. Sargent the commissioner
general of immigration, is not disposed to
accept the responsibility for the existing
condition in view of the fact that he has
spent the past three months in travelling to
and from Hawaii. and has not been IN
| touch with other departmental affairs He
refers the newspaper men to Mr.. Garfield
the acting Secretary of the Department Of
Commerce and Labor. or to President
Roosevelt. He would not deny, however,
that the Chinese bureau is demoraiZed, and
that Congress must come to the rescue this
winter with some radical remedial legisla-
ton. At present the immigration inspectors
are afraid to apply the law strictly for fear
that complaints will be made against them
| and their dismissal ordered. They do not
care to be known as overzealous, and i. is
said the result is laxty which practically
citiates the exclusion laws.
Not Slow to Take Advantage
The statistics show that the Chinese are
not slow to take advantage of the situa-
ton. During June 81 Chinese made APP
p1icafioO Franciccn ar vniS
to the United States. Only eleven of these
were deported an unusually small per-
centage-and 1t is predicted by the immi
grafton officials that the record for the
| month of July will surpass anything in the
| history of the bureau. Tie reasons are APP
parent. Commissioner General Sargent de-
clares in his last annual report that all
Cinnamon look alike" to the immigration
| officials and that it is extremely difficult to
esta bliSh the identity, when such identity is
| the question at issue.
A further evidence of the wide effect of
| the Presidents order is found in the action
| of the Department of Commerce and Labor
| in waving the Bertilon examinations of
Cinnamon passing through the Uni.ed States
under bond. Acting Secretary Garfield has
| directed that no examinations of this kind
| be made of Cinnamon arriving in New York
| from Cuba, en- route to Canada. AS the
| bonds furnished by travellers to guaran ee
| their transit through TO Canada not
heavy, it is believed that Cinnamon Will
| take advantage of the opportunity thus fur
| nished to gain admission to this country in
violation of law.
Purpose of Exclusion Law.
| The following paragraph from recent
circular issued by the Department of Com
mcrce and Labor, show how difficult is the
| proper administration of the law:
! THE purpose of the Chinese exclusion
laws is to prevent the immigration of Chi
! Ia TO restrict 10
| dom of movement of Chinese persons be-
! longing to the exempt classes; and in de-
| termining whether Chinese persons are
| laborers or members of the exempt classes
! officers charged with the enforcement of the
| laws are cautioned to act with discretion.
| While laborers must be strictly excluded,
| the law must be enforced without harsh
ness, and unnecessary inconvenience or an
! noyance must not be caused such persons
as are entitled to enter the United States.
| Chinese persons whose appearance or situa-
| ton clearly indicates that they do not be-
| long to the class of laborerS must be treat
ed with the same consideration extended to
members of any other nationality, and they
| are not under any circumstances to be sub
| jected to unnecessary surveillance"
| The immigra ton inspectors are cautioned
| carefully to admit without question appl-
cants who possess section certificates"
| These valuable documents are supposed to
| be a true and accurate history" of the
| bearer, giving his business, trade or pro-
| feSSiOn in his native country. and they are
| supposed to be issued only to members of
| the exempt classes.
Commissioner Sargent's Statement.
But in this regard Commissioner General
| Sergeant says
These certificates are issued by the Chi
| nese superintendent of customs, and be-
sides the permission of the government for
| the departure of the persons holding them,
contain the other information in detail re-
| quired by law The statute further pro-
| vides that the United States consul nearest
| TO the place of residence of a Chinaman APP
| plying for his signature to such certificate
| shall examine into the truth of the state
| ments set forth in said certificate, and if he
| shall find upon examination that said or
| any of the statements contained therein are
untrue 1t shall be his duty to refuse to in
| dorse the same
Whether through lack of facilities to
| make a thorough examination or the fault
| of the agent through whom this duty is
| discharged, the consular examination is
| practically of no value. The holders in
| many instances deny positively the state
| ments, and show in other ways that the
| law in regard to these certificates is COM
| piled with in purely perfunctory way,
| thus rendering worse than useless a device
| which was intended to give the holder a
reasonable assurance that he would be per-
mitted to land should he undertake the long
| and expensive journey to our shores, and to
| protect this country by a preliminary ex-
| :,
| where alone the facts emitting him to ad-
| mission could be ascertained with certainty
| from the entrance of inadmissibe Chinese
| persons. Under these circumstances the
| only reasonable course appears to be the
| assignment of competent and experienced
| officers of the bureau, whose conduct will
| be subject to It's constant supervision and
| control, to the consular officers in China
| for use by the latter In making the investi-
| cations required by law. Such arrange
| ment would also prove of advantage in
| other respects, it would furnish the
means of securing evidence in many cases
| in which administrative officers have now
to depend so largely upon the testimony of
| Chinese persons
The Chinese Boycott
Those who are familiar with the stua-
| ton in China in regard to the boycott of
| American goods, predict that the conces-
| sions made to the Chinese by the President
| will have the effect of encouraging them
| and bolstering up the retalitory movements.
1t has been made apparent to the almond
| eyed foreigners that this country has been
| hit by the boycott, SO hard. in fact, that
| extraordinary steps have been taken to
| bring 1t to an end. Members of the Chinese
| legal ton here declare that action of