The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1907-09-25
TO STOP WHITE SLAVE TRADE
Government Appoints Miss Helen
Bulls to Get Evidence.
Planning Measures to Check the Inn
portation Of Women and Girls
For Immoral Purposes.

Washington, D. C.-With the ap-
pointment temporarily to the 1mmi-
grafton Service Of Miss Helen M. Bull
lis, of New York, who recently has
been connected with the Travellers
Aid Society, the Government will
bend it's energies toward detection of
the systemised white slave traffic"
believed to exist in the United States.
Thus far the immigration Service has
been unable to make any Roadway
against the evil. Miss Bulls has rep
resented to Comfnissioner-Genera
Sargent, head of the immigration Ser
vice, that she will be able to gain the
evidence necessary. not only to check
the importation OF women and girls
for immoral purposes but to bring to
justice the men who are getting rich
through the Infamous business.
Robert Watchorn, immigration
Commissioner at Ellis Island, came
to Washington for a conference on
this subject with Commissioner Cen
eral Sargent, and one result of their
talk was the appointment Of Miss
Bulls.
The campaign against the white
slave traffic has been given impetus
by Oscar S. Straus, the Secretary Of
Commerce and Labor. MI. Straus is
resolved that if the traffic can be ar
rested through his efforts it shall be
done. AS Minister to Turkey he was
a member of a society organized for
the suppression of the white slave
traffic in C~onstantinople.
Thus far the immigration officials
have been beset by many difficulties
in attempting to prevent the landing
of women and girls suspected of be-
ing brought to the United States for
immoral purposes. The results Of a
mistake in questioning an entirely
respectable person are so serious
that the immigration inspectors hes
itate to make a searching inquiry I'M
less they are absolutely certain of
their ground.
Because Of this and the fact that
persons brought to the United States
for immoral purposes are carefully
coached before embarking for the
voyage, it has been found next to i'm
possible to break up the traffic at the
large immigration ports. Many girls
are brought to the United States
without knowing that they are to vic
timized, and, of course. questioning
will not reveal anything in their
cases.
The Department of Commerce and
Labor received a few weeks ago from
the Japanese and Korean Exclusion
League in the Northwest a commune
cation setting forth that there existed
an extensive traffic of japanese wom-
en-. Marcus Braun, an immigration
inspector, was sent to the scene of the
complaint. While the complaint was
found to be generally true, the per-
sons complaining had no evidence to
point to the men presumably behind
the traffic, and Mr.. Braun was unable
to get evidence sufficient for the Gov
eminent to proceed upon. He is now
engaged in an inspection of condi-
lions along the Mexican border.
Upon a complaint from Phoenix.
Ariz., Secretary Straus recently in
structed the immigration officials
along the Mexican border carefully to
investigate the white slave traffic al
legged to be maintained for the min
ing camp towns and cities Of the
Southwest.