New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-11-17
A Word with MIR. Loeb
~, AN ACCOUNT OF RECENT CUSTOM HOUSE EXPERIENCES IN
N"O
Copyright, 1912, by C. W. smallsyJ
:, v,to Al Tagllamento, October IL.


uisbed--you will hardly believe it
,rt last Saturday and Sunday really
,,s wish for the company of Mr.. Loeb.
rha company of Mr.. Loeb as Mr..
Ioeh Is always agreeable, but it was
80 Collector Of the Port Of New York
verted. ! left England Saturday
,,orning and, tourneying by way OF
calais. Paris, and the Simplon, arrived
=, Venice at o'clock Sunday after
roon. Meantime. l had crossed three
Great frontiers, the frontiers of France
Switzerland and Italy: all protechonist
Countries. and all plentifully provided
9TH custom houses and customs ofil-
.isls There are beside these the nIu-
ricipal custom houses, where the octroi
duty Is collected from all corners:
calais. Paris, Lausanne, and finally
Venice, to mention only the chief.
had with me two pieces of hand luggage
besides the three registered through
from, London to Venice. l was there
fore open to attack on two sides, ana
IN an attack against which there is no
defence: since a collision or even DIS
cusslon with the customs authorities Is
the most futile Of all forms of nisdi-
rected energy. They have every right
70 examine thoroughly each piece OF
each travellers portable possessions
Tho traveller, If he is not new TO the
tob. will submit INTERESTINGLY TO what
ever is REQUIRED OF him. Actually or
constructively he passes through the
custom houses established at each OF
the places 1 have mentioned. With New
YORK and Mr. Loeb in his mind he
might, therefore, look forward to a
troubled tourney, and to series OF
examinations and exactions to be nell
ther evaded nor resisted.
You may suppose that wished for
Mr.. Loebs company in order that he
might profit by all the experiences you
imagine ! am going to describe; and
that he might learn from them new
methods OF scrutiny, new forms Of ex-
tortion or new stratagems TO practise
upon travellers. But that lie not so.
do not suggest that in these agreeable
arts Mr.. Loeb has anything to learn.
He need not come 70 Europe for les
sons Of that sort. Europe, II so minded,
might well 20 to school to him. have
travelled in many parts Of Europe for
forty years, and 1 do not believe there
IS a European custom house, whether
I'm oh 1T fog
where legalized brigandage is carried
on with the scientific completeness
which, since Mr. Loeb became Collec-
tor, prevails In New York. Mr.. Loeb
has nothing to learn In that direction.
What wanted him to see was some
thing quite different. thought still
think-it might profit him to see how
the dictates Of common sense and
sound business principles may be ap-
Piled 10 rigid tariff systems In Europe:
and with what results, In the great
transactions Of commerce ample pre-
cautions are taken against smuggling.
Il is for the interest OF the State that
they should be But il is also for the
interests Of these European States that
the great army Of tourists and other
travellers should be encouraged and
should not be driven away from coun-
tries In which they are prepared to
spend great sums Of money. The pros
perity Of some Of these countries de-
pends In a measure upon the expendi-
ture Of foreigners. Their governments
have therefore found IL worth while to
relax some Of their restrictions In favor
Of the traveller For many years past
this process has been going on, and II
has now Brought things to a condition
which am going briefly 10 explain.
AS Mr.. Loeb is a busy man. / will,
for his sake, first sum II all UP in n
sentence. made the journey from
London to Venice across France. SwitS-
erland. and into the North Of Italy
without having TO open a single trunL,
bag or other piece OF luggage: or even,
except in one instance, to answer the
ume-honored question whether l had
anything to declare; or any other qucs-
uOh whatsoever. MIR. Loop, eiinleShc1
in the yexstious subtleties Of the New
York Custom House, may think this
story incredible. That Is one reason
besides the pleasure OF his society
Why wish he had been with me. He
would then have known II was true,
and be as well as I would have passed
al these barriers immune.
circumstantial account may TAX
hr Loeb's powers Of belief even more
than the simple general statement OF
TACT But it win give him an oppor-
unity Of contradicting me In details.
and Of exposing my inaccurscies-hir
OF any Of his partisans, II partisans ne
nave. In the Press or elsewhere. VIII
say again, as / said in these columns
iast year, that ! have no personal
grievance against Mr.. Loeb, or against
MS officers. All OF them with whom l
nave come in contact have known how
70 perform their strict duties with
ooliging civility and with no avoidaele
annoyance.
Wen, then landed last Saturday In
Calais at 2:10 p. m: as ! have landed
scores and scores Of times before. A
porter took my two parcels ashore and
al