Los Angeles herald., 1909-12-11
Associated Press1

MAJ ASHTNGTON, Dec. 10.-Stories OF
w revolving practices of American
and foreign procurers of W omen
for importation into the United States
for immoral purposes are told in a
report issued by the immigration COM
mission. The agents of the commits
sion contemplate closer scrutiny of
the admission of alien women and re-
nowed efforts to stamp out the So
called "white slave traffic"
In explanation of the act of laying
bare to the public the horrible details
of discoveries by its agents, the COM
mission says that the white slave traf-
fic is the most pitiful and the most
revolving phase of the immigration
question.
This business has assumed large
proportions and it has been cXertng
so evil an influence upon the country
that the commission declares it felt
compelled to make thorough inves-
tigaton.
Since the subject is especially liable
to sensational exploitation, the report
says it is important that the state
ment of the commission should deal
with undenia BILE facts which may form
a basis Of reasonable legislative and
administrative action to lessen its
evils.
Field of Inquiry
The inquiry covered New York, Chi
CagO. san Francisco, Seattle, Port
land, Salt Lake City Ogden. Butte
Denver, Buffalo, Boston and New
Orleans.
No attempt was made to investigate
conditions in every important city; but
the commission believes that enough
evidences of women Of different races
and nationalities and living under diff
ferent conditions have heen obtained
from localities sufficiently scattered to
use the report as a sufficient basis TOT
legislative and administrative action.
The report deals with methods used
bv men and women procurers 10 lure
women into this country for immoral
purposes. These methods differ as
adopted in different countries. In some
countries men and women in the ousl-
ness of enticing innocent girls to the
United States resort to protfers or at
tractive positions, and in many cases
the men offer themselves in marriage
and frequently risk prosecution on
charges of bigamy in order to attain
their desires.
Much of the evidence taken by the
agents of the commission is given III
proof of statements made in the report
and there are also aftidaVits from po-
lice officers and letters from govern
evidence on which the report has been
based.
Doubt Corporations Existence
The report says concerning talk of
great monopolistic corporation whose
business it is to import and exploit
those unfortunate women:
1.-The commission has been unable to
learn of any such corporation, and does
rot believe in its existence
1t is said, however, that persons en-
gagged in such importing business no
doubt have a wide acquaintance among
and in many instances they
have rather close business relations
one with another, so as to prevent their
victims from getting out of their
clutches before they have realized the
desired profits of the base ventures.
Under the head of recommends
tions" the commission says:
owing to the difference between
American and European views regard
ing prosecution, cooperation for the
of the white slave traffic
can be expected from most of the Euro
pean nations only along certain lines.
Most European countries are rigid in
their regulations regarding the procur-
ing for purposes of prostitution of min
or girls or of any women by means OF
fraud and deceit.
Women who are of age, however.
and who enter the business of their
own accord, are not interfered with.
From continental countries where these
exist practically no co-opera-
tion could be expected to prevent pro-
fessional prostitutes from sailing to the
United States.
Would Cooperate
"Such governments probably would
cooperate to prevent the seduction OF
minors or the fraudulent or forcible
expectation of their women.
"In the main, however, the United
States government must rely upon its
own officials for prevention of this traf-
fic."
A number of suggestions of admins
trative changes and more rigid enforce
ment of existing regulations by the de-
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