The Washington herald., 1910-10-22
GUILTY IMPORTERS
APPEAL TO LOEB
Government viii Be Gamer,
Declares the Collector.
REMIT CRIMINAL PENALTIES
Full Civil Damages VIII BE ETacted
and Voluntary :dmIsslOns VIII
Not AvaiI-Speedy Confessions Fol-
low Revelation in the DuVeen
Case-Priyatc Trade Invoices.

New York. Oct. I.-Collector William
Loeb jr. upon his return to-day from
the conference which he had on THURSDAY
with Secretary MacVeagh. OF the Treasury
Department. said, that a course had been
agreed upon for handling the unusual
circumstance evolved by the voluntary
admission of many importers in New
York OF The guilt ot cheating the customs
by undervaluauon. Though the collector
was guarded In his statements he ad-
mitted frankly that several hundred
thousands Of dollars would be- saved 10
the government by the attitude of the
guilty Importers
But the collector was quick 10 correct
an impression which arose out Of Wash
inston reports Of the conference between
Loeb and the Secretary and which had II
that the importers IN question had volun-
tarily con iessed unsuspected thefts from
tte customs % the collector Of the port
OF Ncv York
No PrickfnE Conscience.
With a grim smile Of satisfaction Mr..
Loeb said that there had not been any
great display Of prlcEdng conscience on
t-4F f'AA hl G4if tA N.aT stl+ t'+ Nft -tt Ar.t
cases. they had been caught with the
goods and, finding themselves caught
had volunteered 90 turn over all their
books 90 the collector and thus expedite
and assist in their own punishment
Mr.. Loeb said that il had been agreed
IN Washington that he should proceed 20
lay the several cases before the district
attorney as he would I'm any ordinary
case or fraud in the customs. Then the
district attorney might use his dis
ti0H IN giving each offender immunity on
The promise that. II called upon. he would
give evidence In any other case in which
his testimony might be needed
TEough| the criminal penalties viii thus
bee remitted. full civil damages will be eX-
acted in each case. Every offender viii
be charged fun duty on the value Of his
goods, entered under false valuation, be-
sides the value of the goods, which Is
exacted in cases of customs fraud.
T cannot say just now how many firms
have confessed To customs evasious and
thrown themselves on our mercy" Mr.
Leob said to-day. You can put il down
as several. AT least and there is every
prospect that more viii fall into line be-
fore very long I will say OF the number
business. but I cannot tell YOU what that
line Is
Private Trade Invoices.
"The method Of evasion used in all Of |
these. cases at present under cons.dera- !
lion was the same as one Of the Du- |
reens' methods-the filing of undervalued |
consular invoices and the use of private !
rade invoices for the squaring Of secret |
accounts between dealer and purchaser. |
IN cases such as these II is very difficult |
-or tho government 10 work up its case |
against any individual firm which IS hos |
tile 10 Il, and defes prosecution, for the !
irm keeps possession OF the private in |
-oices. and without a quick raid upon /
Insuspectine officers these papers cannot |
De had
The collector said that the guilty i'm !
,orters began 70 send their lawyers to /
lin just as. soon as they caught wind |
# Investigations which had been set on /
DOT against them The representatives
,ame by twos and threes, and made in
luiries as 20 what would be the rewards
4 speedy confession. More will be com
ng very shortly. the collector thinks be
ause the importers who have been cheat
ng the customs have discovered that
some very relentless digging into facts
lave been going on and will continue