The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1910-11-08
CAMPAIGN
AGAINST THE
WHITE PLAGUE

!
according to one Of the fncials Of tn,
Department Of Justice charged witt
directing the campaign.
Assistant Attorney General william
r. iarr and James A Finch, chief OF
the secret service bureau Of the De
partment of Justice, announced toda
that they had instructed every agent
Of the department to assist the force
of special investigators in their round
mp Of men and women engaged in
the business.
All prosecuting attorneys, state and
federal, have been asked to cooperate
with the movement 20 crush the vice.
This crusade was started three years
ago, said Mr. Finch today. Our plan
is first to close the channels through
which the procurers operate. thereby
stopping interstate and foreign traf-
fc. Then we intend to arrest and pro-
secute every person liable under the
Mann act.
Mr. Finch said immigration officials
at the various port cities have been
asked to watch more closely the wo-
men who come to America A strict
er surveillance on the part of the got.
ernment inspectors has been kept
for the last week or so, and several
arrests Of the men higher up" have
already been reported
1t is the purpose of the secret ser
vice bureau of the Department of Jus
tice to shatter the idea that the ma
chinery Of the national government
Is too ponderous to take up white
slave" cases, and the officials intend
to strike simultaneously at the big
cities. 1t was said at the bureau this
morning that Pittsburg is the center
of the vile trade while some of the
lines developed in Chicago by recent
arrests can be traced throughout the
United States.
District Attorney Sims of Chicago,
who visited the Department of JUS
tice yesterday, is said to have brought
information that more persons are
now engaged in the white slave" tra-f
fic than at any previous time "Evi-
dence collected by him in his cru
sade in Illinois will be used by the
government agents.
Mr.. Finch intimated that Washing
ton would be included in the investi-
cation.
While it is understood that the
special investigators will not attempt
to 'clean up" the various cities. ev-
cry person known to be engaged in
the vicious traffic will be prosecuted,
and houses wherein white slaves
are harbOred will be closed.
Those investigators who have been
working on the bucket shop" cases
and a number of agents detailed to
investigate the custom house frauds
have seen drafter into tins camTaien
The scope of the probe extends to for.
eign countries and representatives of
this government have been requested
to aid by ascertaining the identity of
the men who are sending women to
the United States to be claimed by
agents of the white slave" dealers
of the department heads said This
movement differs from other cam
paigns heretofore instituted in that
We desire the utmost publicity to be
given to the investigation. When the
Mann act, with it's sweeping penalties
was passed, it was believed that ma
nv of the white slav5" dea ers would
be frightened out of business This
has not been the case. Judging from
information already IN our possession,
the business seems to be fourishing
more than ever before
By the terms of the Mann act, ap-
proved June %, 1910. any person con-
victed of traffiicking in white slaves
is liable to fine of $4,000 or impris
onment of not more than five years
or may be punished by both fine and
imprisonment. In certain cases a fine
of $4,000 and Imprisonment of not
more than ten years IS provided by
the terms of the law.
Discussed in Purity Congress.
NEW ORLEANS, October ga