Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-04

them crowded on the promenade deck
and hanging over the rail scanning the
shore \ moment later the ship came to
rest a Gangplank was run out and the
passengers streamed forth \ moment
more and the hold OF the vessel belched
forth huge TRUCKS loaded with trunks,
handbags. suit cases. baggage OF every
sort and description. Over the gang
plank the baggage rolled. across the
pier TO great open-air shed. where a
group of blue uniformed men ordered it
Gnloaded and laid out in a sort Of sys-
Iematic disorder.
4 little later when their owners ar
rived these trunks would be opened by
the quiet uniformed men. and their con
tents either run hastily through or taken
ont and scattered over the sheds rough
flooring, piece by piece. For the men
clad IN dark blue, with their little visored
caps. are United States inspectors-in
this case merely another name for de-
tectives-who. under the direction of SUI
pervising Agent John +. Wilkie, are
daily prosecuting never-endlns search
for the most fashionable crooks in the
world the people who try 10 beat Uncle
Sans custom house.
Time was when smuggling was simple
enough: everybody remembers the stir
ring tale OF the .'contraband.' But il
IS vastly different row. 1t is an extreme
~ difficult matter TO smuggle even a
single article into this country nova
days, and il is practically impossible 10
attempt TO make a business of it with
out getting speedily caught. which. in
the case of the professional S.nugSler
means results which are particularly
disastrous. Nevertheless scores of peo-
pie continue 10 try the smuggling game
Just for the fun of it, every day in the
year, and probably always will Peo-
pie who ordinarily wouldn't steal penny
Tor worlds are continually deviSing new
tricks 10 beat the man who wants to col
lect perfectly legitimate duty for Uncle
Sam. and some Of those tricks actual
narvels OF ingenuity,
According to Supervising Agent Wilkie.
smugglers are not only the most fashion
able crooks in the world, but also the
most numerous as Well as about the
hardest to catch. Ii was for these last
TWO reasons that Wilkie, for years head
of the United States secret service, re-
Gently gave up all connection with that
division of the government service to
devote his entire attention To catching
them, and it is for the same reasons that
he keeps a staff OF operatives numbering
thousands, not only in the United States
but in every country every big CITY in
Europe. and practically every big passen-
ger steamer which touches American
ports. The European agents watch to see
what touring Americans buy. The agents
here that the purchases are de
clared" when the tourists come home
Don't get the idea that we contine. all
our attention to incoming liners and
such things though. said Mr. vii ie.
That's only part of the work and a
small part at that. Lots of the smuggling
we have to look Oft for doesn't come over
IN an ocean liner at all. 1t may not even
come with the man ii belongs TO- A lot
of II comes over the Canadian border
for instance. maybe after its owner has
been back from his trip two or three
weeks or perhaps a month. And that re-
minds me of one of the Slickest little
schemes to beat Uncle Sam that ever was
Matched. IL was devised by Il Canadian
the proprietor of one OF the largest and
most prosperous stores in the Dominion,