New-York tribune., 1906-10-13
SMUGGLING In CHINESE.
Rigid Investigation To Be Made
Question of Deportation.
! from The Tribune Bureaul


Washington. Oct 12.-Newfoundland as a base
of operations for smuggling Chinese into the
United States. in violation of the immigration
laws is to have the special attention of the
immigration authorities. in view of the capture
of the Cinnamon brought into Providence on
the schooner Frolic the other day.
For several months past the immigration off,
clals have had reason to believe that smugglers
of Chinese were unusually busy at that point.
and that the Asatics were being brought there
on the theory that they could thus be sneaked
into the United States with greater ease than
elsewhere, since the American officials along
the Canadian land border have proved them
selves so vigilant and since Canada has made
the head tax every Chinaman brought into
that country $500
Commissioner General Sargent returned to
Washington to-day. and is awaiting full reports
from Boston before he orders the exact proceed
ure regarding the deportation of the aliens and
the punishment of the persons responsible for
bringing them in. The Commissioner General
regards the capture of the Cinnamon as an i'm
portant piece OF work. and is prepared to direct
a most rigid investigation of the circumstances
in connection with their smuggling in Though
the bureau has had long experience with the
ways that are dark of the Chinese in their
attempts to get into the United States without
proper authorization. and has intercepted many
Of them both on the Northern and Southern bor-
ders In all sorts of disguses, the recent attempt
OF bringing them in yacht 10 New England
ports is regarded of the most daring
efforts TO circumvent the law made.
The department is anxious to determine
whether the expedition of the Froc is part of a
well organized system by which Newfoundland
is used as centre of activities for shipping
Cinnamon into the United States i'll large num-
beTs, and If so to prevent any future efforts of
the kind. Most of the attempts to Smuggle in
Chinese have been made on the Pacific coast of
Canada. where the officials had great trouble in
breaking up the trade. but succeeded in doing
so by alertness on the part of the agents and
by an arrangement with the steamship COM
pdnles which requires that Chinese brought TO
vancouver destined for the United States must
be brought under bond and delivered to inmi-
grafton officers at the ports of entry. There is
reason TO believe that the Cinnamon the
Frolic were brought from Liverpool across the
Atlantic instead of bv the Pacific route. and in
this case it is believed an arrangement may be
disclosed whereby regular shipments are being
made to Newfoundland with smugglers operat-
ing from that point as a source Of supply
Difficulties have arisen in connection with de-
termlning the question whether the Cinnamon
captured at Providence must be deported TO
Newfoundland to China. The law according
10 one Interpretation says that aliens must be
deported TO the point of debarkation, but in this
case a good deal of doubt apparently exists as
to the circumstances under which the Chinese
were taken and the inclination of the de-
partment seems to be that after the Cinnamon
have once been declared to have entered this
country in violation of the law they shall be
deported to China to prevent possibility OF at
tempting TO return. The expense under this
arrangement would be greater than to take
them back to Newfoundland. averaging about
$3.50 for each Chinaman, in addition to the cost
OF marshals fees which the government must
pay, but for greater safety in getting rid Of the
unwelcOme visitors it is believed that the immi-
grafton officials will prefer to send them back
TO their own country.