New-York tribune., 1909-12-11
~WHITESLAVE" EVIL
HORRORS OF TRAFFIC
TOLD TO CONGRESS-.
immigration Commission Rec
ommends HeaJler Penalties
Its Investigations.

81
women contained In the report on the So
rsued white slave" trade submitted 10
congress to-day by the United States I'm
migration Commission. Shocking as Is the
.sle of voluntary degradation told fn the
-en0-f- immensely more so is the setting
.orrh ~ vel attested facts as 20 the com
rrlso~v consignment OF innocent Immigrant
mrs 70 a Hfe Of shame.
Much 81 the subject matter OF tO-day's
-eno-r was covered by the commission IN
s,s preliminary report OF LOO pages. pub
Wshed and widely discussed a year go.
-o-days report Is briefer. containing only
sixty pages
When the report was presented in the
House ~ Representatives by Mr.. Bennet.
~ Neu York Champ Clark. the minority
leader objected 10 its being printed as
House document. but later withdrew his
objection II was promptly renewed by
NJ sabarh. of Illinois. Mr. Fitzgerald. OF
Neu- York wanted 10 know II the report
contained sensational matter Ike that
which he implied was contained IN the re-
port ~ the Roosevelt Homes Commission.
70 which Nr. Bennet made the tart reply:
"Au matter calculated 10 appeal 10 i'm
p1-e minds has been eliminated
The report begins with an introduction
alNA Aalf -AaAAAF anu AeIIlAlOAOEN OF
the white slave" traffic and closes with
summary OF the effects. moral and
physical. especially on the victims and a
series 0g recommendations. largely OF an
administrative character.
The commission says that the effect OF
ne importation of immoral women into
fhs country is one OF increased degrade
ton and death for the women and OF con-
tamination and corruption by means OF
the spread OF disease for those with whom
they come in contact
loss OF LIFE AND MONEY.
The economic loss. coming from the
shortening of life and from the expendi-
ture of the large SUNS OF money in all
The mulufzrious ways OF vice. and which
r. mere waste from every point OF view.
Is grest" says the report. 1T is unneces-
sary 20 comment on the ruinous influences
of prostitution upon domestic and social
life or or SIS horrible effects which come
alike ro the guilty and the innocent"
The commission says that the immoral
rraf7c rs not confined entirely 70 women.
huf - Is clear that there Is a beginning
sr any rate. OF 4 traf1ic In men and boys
f1r immoral purposes. The need Of check
i.g rhis importation is especially great >"
continues the report The vilest prac-
tices are brought here from Continental
Europe. and beyond doubt there has come
from imported women and their men the
most bestial refinements Of depravity.'
The diseases caused and spread by these
importauons. the commission says. should
he guarded against even more than
tuberculosis. typhoid OF any OF the other
infectious diseases"
The commission IN describing the man
ner OF its investigations recounts the ex-
perienoes of many OF ios agents. In some
-ases. they were attacked and beaten
and actual murder was narrowly srsrted.
POLICE CORRUPTION
Concerning the relations of the police 20
me trafic The commission says:
high police officials. prosecuting on
Gers and social workers in al quarters as
SER that IN many. II not al. Of stir large
cities. much corruption of tHss kind
exists"
Financial pronr is the basic motive for
The rraaic. but Of the women and girls
abroad. lured by various methods into
the Uet ~ the procurers. many human at
tributes operate 10 accomplish their de-
srrIcti0E Sometimes il IS merely q desire
Tor financial Improvement Again Il may
D. an affection for the male prOcurer. sedu-
lous.y cultivated by the man. Many OF the
Elr.s are innocent and ignorant. but a far
greater number, II is declared. are naLOf
MAJ rlexperienced class and come largely
~ their 0Wn accord.
10 statistics are given IN the report
taolsh tie extent of the traffic is charac-
ter.z-6 as couutry-wide. Most OF the
women, ir is said. come by way Of New
York. san Francisco and Seattle. although
arrHr
Frequently they are brought into the
United sts'es disguised as wives or sisters
of their procurers and 50 pass the imnli-
grafton officials.
The -Zpl0ita-ion - these women after
their arrival IN the United States Is char
scie-'zec ir the report as most pitiful for
ID women snd most brutal on the part ~
ule men, AOt only the innocent AID be-
trtF-- young girls but the more expert
enoea women are made the victims Of Writ
"a slavery
il1 trp0rtatlous come from all coun-
ir@s France leadlug. and the Chinese and
japanese making up the majority q thos.
coming n hy way Of the Pacific Coast
Aosi of the pr0curers are ~ foreign blrrh
sc market price" varies from $50, T.
a"a f9r each aIien woman. Sometimes
H~y are not sold outright. but uaeir pro-
.''tt-.il4F TO I'VE ll'Dfll t4af-lF earnings
ar @r fneIr arrival here.
-'f sfatement is made that "a very large
proportion ~ THE r1eu engaged in The
ha1l' ~ immoral women are foreigners.
ihcil-lng every nationality. ana the fact
ls tiof~o tLa1 the French. japanese and
r--ifst men import from their own cOun-
tite ltli. the investigation disclosed
fraternity and cooperation among the
"sra.s oi The traffic throughout the United
a.aies. th@ commissioners report that they
We're unable 10 md any evidence Il "a
ti'aI m1nopolisfic corporation whose bust
Heas t is 40 import and exploit these un-
i-Iilnate women They 10 report the
'AsieEce ~ two organizations Of impor-
lance. ole French ana tie other Jewish.
ssi They DO not import
RECOMMENDATIONS
IT'D" commission makes ten specific rec
eHHlendati0us for correcting the evils. as
tolloEs.
: A special agent 10 be- attached 10 each
l4'i,ei Tart embassy Of the United States
Il t-l1D-, 20 watch for violations broad
70 't-"l'rfaung with the authorities of the
-It4 ~ which be Is accredited anc 10
-lEt a. carrying OUT the treaty stpula-
AZ agent Of the Commerce aud Labor
-. fiiiluil1 abroad 10 collect and furnish
.'i'i ifaflun fg steamship companies and
- federal ofhcers ln TINS country 10 an
s.,'-if Floiat0rs Of the law either before
saLing or al The DOTr Of entry
+. .spf~fIEleuf agent on each steamship.