The San Francisco call., 1906-04-17
CHINESE ENVOY
DENIES FRAUD
Says the Oriental Officials
Are Not Responsible for
the Bogus Certificates

WASHINGTON, April 16.-Sir Chen
Tung Liang Cheng. the Chinese Minister.
has taken issue with Representative
DENLY of Michigan on the question of
the responsibility for the issuance Of
fraudulent certificates of admission to
the United States. DENLY stated to the
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
during the hearing of the Foster bill
amending the 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
made a part of the record in these hear
ings During the three years he has
been in charge of the legation here, the
Minister says, he has kept a record of
every certificate that has been issued in
the provinces of Kwangtung or Fukien
to Chinese subjects departing for the
United States, the Philippines or Hawaii;
that the emigration from all other pro-
vinces Is Insignificant and that 527 certi
ficates represents the total number is
sued. However, he says the figures of
the immigration Office for these three
years shows the total number of appli-
cants for admission bearing certificates
numbers $500. The number bearing GER
tiflcates from the Chinese Government,
Ie SdyS, lS buI o per CcuL VI TIC lOIdl
number seeking admission.
CALLS 1T IMAGINATION.
Where did the go per cent get their
certificates he asks, and then proceeds
to answer the question by stating that
under the regulations of the immigration
service officials in the following cities
and countries are permitted to issue
these certificates: Vancouver, Victoria,
New Westminster, Ottawa, Cuba. Ger
man protectorate of Kiautchou, Gaate-
mala, Hawaii, Hongkong, Japan. Hok-
kidd, Formosa, Mexico, Philippine
Islands, Portuguese province of Macao,
Society Islands, Straits Settlement, Trim
idad and Venezuela.
The Minister then comments as fol-
lows:
None of these officers has been au-
thorized by the Chipese 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 fagrantly guilty party
in this matter, does he mean that the
above-named countries are parts of the
Chinese empire, and therefore the off,
GERS of these countries are Chinese Of
ficials?'
Minister Cheng says that during the
three years of his embassadorship to this
country not one case of issuance of
fraudulent certificates by Chinese officials
has been brought officially to his notice,
and the inference, he says, is therefore
plain that Chinese officials cannot be
blamed for frauds of this kind.
Consequently" he continues, ct con-
slider the fntimation of Mr.. DENLY that
but for the vigilance of the immigration
officers there would have been "a traffic
in bringing in illegal Chinese which would
have enriched thousands of officials, and
our country would have been overrun
with them as II there had been no ex-
clusion law, as an emanation from a
fertile imagination rather than a trust
worthy judgment founded on cold facts. ;"
DENNY RENEws CHARGES.
Representative DENLY. who is a member
of the Foreign Affairs Committee. made
this statement tonight:
sIt 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 Minister
My statements were based on facts and
fair inference. Every assertion can be
easily proved. The Minister'S statement
is painfully though, hope, unintention-
ally misleading. The records of the Bu-
reau of immigration show conclusively
that during the period referred to s95 ap-
plicants bearing certificates issued in
China by Chinese officials presented
themselves at various ports in the United
States. Will the Minister admit that 1853
certificates not reported to him were
fraudulent? He becomes the best Wit
ness in proof of my assertion.
THE Minister also says that there were