The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-28
Thousands of "Chinks" Wers
Waiting to Enter United
States From Mexico s
THOUGHT THEY WOULD
BE SENT BACK HOME
But Intercepted Letter Gives
Whole Scheme Away and I
Saves Country Much
Trouble

WASHINGTON, d. c., July 2s.--<
Definite evidence was received a, the
department OF Commerce and Labor
to-day showing that just across tha
Mexican border tens of thousands zoe
starving Chinese are now joining I'M
a conspiracy to induce the Unitef
states government by fraud to pay
their passage back TO China.
The conspiracy has long been sues
pected by the immigration officials
and racsnt arrests of Chinese who
had crossed the border into ArisonA
brought the facts to light.
This Information Is contained In
two letters sent by Chinese prisonA
ers now held In jail at Tucson, Ark.
on charge Of violating the Chinesa
exclusion laws.
Labor conditions in Mexico. aecordA
Ing to these letters. have become sd
bad that even Chinese cannot makA
his living there. The Chinese, how
ever, found themselves denied the
right to enter thu United States amt.
did not have sufficient funds to buy4s
their passage buck to China.
Starvation or suicide" confroptM
them, the letters say.
Astute Plan.
plan was evolved whereby tf6
Chinese were to cross the Americas
border surrender themselves to the
United States immigration officers ana
be sentenced to the delightful treat
OF a freq trip home. This would cosA
Uncle Sam $50 per head
TWO letters sent by prisoners t0
the six companier'' who look after
the interests of Chinese here were fn~
tercepted by the officials,
INV ~
pie. small and Insignificant as ants,
are on our knees petitioning our great
minister 1.-THE head OF one of these
companies sad not the Chinese Minis
isterD Tho United States has ens
acted new law, and Instead of ships
ping our eountrymsn back to China.
Is sending them back. to Mexico. They
never had such law before.
1T has not even been adverflee4s
In the newspapers. They did ii an
secretly
Over In Mexico there are stilI tens
OF thousands OF our countrymen who
have no work to do. and who are
looking forward to smuggling Them
selves into the United States, submit
to arrest and be deported back 70
China. If this course Lis closed. many
Of them will have to commit suicide
by hanging themselves or die of star
walton.
Signed by Twenty.
Have pity on us and deliver IN
from starvation in this country. BY
accomplishment OF this you would
be blessed unto your ten thousandth
generation"
This letter was signed by twentJ
OF the Chinese prisoners In Tucsonss
and was addressed to d Chinese newDAf
paper in San Francisco.
Another letter says: Whenever any3
OF you desire TO smuggle yourselves
over to the United. States, taxa pro-
visions and water. walk into United
States territory few miles. When
arrested by an immigration oficer.
tell him YOU were born In United
States and then you might get de~s
ported back to China
81 did not get here I'm time" the
letter ends sadly. II came Just about
the time they changed the law. III
Is indeed too bad"
As matter of fact, there II n0k
new law 1t liz simply that Assistant
Secretary Gable has ordered that thA
old law be strictly interpreted and
enforced The United States had a1-
ready footed a big steamship bill for
these Chinese before fraud was sus~I
pected. L