Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-17
CHINA MINISTER
DEFENDS Hist OWN
FAILS TO CONVINCE AS TO
FRAUD CERTIFICATES
Takes Issue With Representative
Denby, Who Demonstrates That
Documents Are Issued by
Chinese Officials
By Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
WASHINGTON April 16.-Sir Chen
Tung Liang Cheng, the Chinese min
lister, has taken issue with Represen-
tative DENLY of Michigan on the ques-
ton Of the responsibility for the issu-
ance of fraudulent certificates Of ad-
mission to the United States. Mr..
DENLY stated to the house committee
on foreign affairs during the hearing on
the Foster bill amending the exclusion
act, that the fact that so many Of
these certificates were found to be
fraudulent was pretty fair evidence of
the fraud of the Chinese officials.
To this charge the Chinese minister
has replied in letter which has been
hearings. During the three years he
has been in charge of the legation here
the minister says he has record of
every certificate that has been issued in
the provinces of Kwang Tun or Fukien
to Chinese subjects departing for the
United States, the Philippines or Ha-
wall, that the immigration from all
other provinces Is insignificant and
that 527 certificates represent the total
number issued. However, he says the
figures of the immigration for these
three years shows the total number of
applicants for admission bearing Ger
tificates numbers $500. The number
bearing certificates from the Chinese
government, he says, is but eight per
q H.
mission.
Places of Issue
where did the so per cent get their
certificates? he asks, and then pro-
ceeds to answer the question by stat
ing that under the regulations of the
immigration service officials in the fol-
lowing cities and countries are per-
mitted to issue these certificates:
Vancouver, Victoria, New Westmin-
ster, Ottawa, Cuba, German protector
ate of Kiautchou, Guatemala, Hawaii,
Hongkong, Japan, Hokkido. Formosa,
Mexico, Philippine islands, Portuguese
province of Macao, Society islands,
Straits settlements, Trinidad and Ven-
ezuela.
The minister then comments as fol-
lows:
None of these officers has been au-
thorized by the Chinese government to
issue required certificates, and none
is subject to the control of the Chinese
government. When Mr.. DENLY says
that China is the most fgrantly guilty
party in this matter, does he mean that
the above named countries are parts
of the Chinese empire, and therefore
the officers of these countries are
Chinese officials?"
Minister Cheng says that during the
three years of his ambassadorship to
I,fe ,tt.xy n1G nf
of fraudulent certificates by Chinese
officials has been brought officially to
his notice and the inference, he says,
is therefore plain that the Chinese Of
ficials cannot be blamed for frauds of
this kind.
consequently" he continues, Il con-
slider the intimation of Mr.. DENLY that
but for the vigilance of the immigration
officers there would have been "a traf-
fic in bringing in Illegal Chinese which
would have enriched thousands of Of
ficials and our country would have been
overrun with them as IL there had been
no exclusion law as an emanation
from fertile imagination rather than
a trustworthy judgment founded on
cold facts"
Denby's Statement
Representative Denby who is a mem
Der OIL lIle lOTelBH dlldlIS ColllIHlllee,
made this statement tonight:
1T was to have been expected that
his excellency would not admit that
the Chinese officials have been guilty
of fraud because he is the Chinese min
ister My statements were based ON
facts and fair inference. Every asser-
tion can be easily proven. The min
ister's statement is painfully, though 1
nope, unntentionally misleading. The
nf hIIrn Of orr in
show conclusively that during the
period referred to 5S5 applicants bear
ing certificates issued in China by
Chinese officials presented themselves
at various ports In the United States.
Will the minister admit that 1856 certi-
ficates no treported to him were fraud
ulent? He becomes the best witness
in proof Of my assertion.
Chinese at Fault
1.-The minister also says that there
was $500 admissions and reflections at
San Francisco during the three years,
and asks when the others are to get
their certificates. Is it possible that
his excellency does not know that most
of those persons did not have to re-
quire any certificate from China or
other foreign government? They were
persons who were or claimed to be
native Dorn AHlerlcdHS OF oIher CHI
zens, returning laborers, returning
merchants, merchants wives, mer-
chants children, etc. Applicants with
section certificates numbered only
1245, and those are the only ones with
whom this statement deals, as they
we're the only ones who had certificates
issued by foreign governments. OF
these 1245 certificates S95 were issued in
China and the balance by officials in
other countries. The reflections were
277 in all, of whom 246 bore certificates
issued in China by Chinese officials.
More than SO per cent of all rejected
certificates were therefore issued by
Chinese officials"