Evening journal., 1914-02-23
MONDAY. FEB. %. 1914.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND BOGUS.


w honest foreigners who come to our city and
state 10 bee for money for churches and schools IN
southeastern Europe, Asia Minor and the Holy Land
What they ask and they get for such worthy pro-
iects is ecuisrly tho business Of themselves ana oil
those who are charitable enough to respond to tner
solicitations.
n a. however. a desire and duty for us to do
everything we can to protect generous-hearted men
and women IN our city and state against the opera
t,ons Of swnders who "steal Heavens livery TO serve
the devil in" and. posing missionaries prey upon
the public at the expense Of tho people and that OF re-
ligious and educational enterprises In those far-oh
lands.
This is said without any desire to cast reelection
upon any OF the oierically garbcd men from abroad
who have been now begging for funds IN tms
city and state They may be all that they profess TO
be- but in the light Of that comes from abroad
the people should be their guard and the public OH
cais should take steps which will compel all such so
lctors to submit ndubitable proofs OF their honesty
before they begin their work of solicitation
The New York Organization Society has issued a
warning TO Americans which should not go unheeded
by wilmngtonians and Delawareans
A cable message published in New York news
paper recently. said: "Beggars in Turkey have es-
tabshed trades union with about 10000 members
rhey have appointed walking delegates TO operate In
all parts Of the world"
Immediately after the publication Of that cable mes
sage the New York Charity Organization Society is
sued a bulletin warning the American public against
a gang Of Oriental money beggars who had established
headquarters in Rector street, that city
'They are frauds and confidence men, the bulletin
stated who make contributors TO charity their prey.
BY nationality they are syrians, Armenans or Cha-
deans. They Will show prospective victim photo
graphs Of a church, orphan asylum or other nstitu
on supposedly conducted by them In Turkey. Usually
these collectors pocket the money they receive
The gang complained of has been operating more
than nve years. Il is thought Il has collected many
thousands Of dollars from charitaby-dsposed Amer
leans who. moved by pleas made failed TO exercise
ordinary business prudence before making contrbu-
tions.
In instances these cericaily -garbed missionaries
from the realm OF rascadom tell moving stories Of
Turkish massacres and Of many orphaned Christian
children AS a rule they carry with them credentials
and letters OF introduction which bear on their face
every evidence Of genuineness. It is par' OF their
plan TO obtain endorsements and letters of ntroduc
ton their American victims. II has been discov
cred that in many instances their credentials are
forged or procured by fraud and that because OF
Of definite knowledge the letters obtained from promi-
nent Americans possess value except TO assist the
Oriental swinders 10 find additional victims
r. 2. speer of the Board OF Foreign Missions of the
Presbyterian Church. commenting upon the activities
OF such swindlers, says
Many OF these men are only inofensye Oriental
villagers who do not know how fraudulent their enter
prise appears to moral They have been
accustomed to live charity we'll they could and
they see no harm in making misrepresentation as to
the objects for which they soliciting most Of which
have no basis in fact Recently group Of Oriental
solicitors was arrested in tho South. and more than
testimonials taken away from them It is marvel
Gus ts me that they can get such testimonials from
Governors college presidents consus and others Ono
who was an absolute untrustworthy had indorse-
ments from the leading authorities Of our church who
nothing whatever about him, but who. suppose,
him the testimonials the basis Of others which
he had already secured"
The swinders are shrewd. They familiarize them
selves with the financial standing of and woman
and approach. a rule. only those who are WELL
to-do.
One OF prominence IN Wilmington informs us
that within the last three months eight who repre-
sented themselves to be missionaries Turkey Asia
Minor and the Holy Land, have solicited him for funds
We know of specific instances in which generous
hearted and have given substantial
the cericaly garbed missionaries who hav,
been operating here How much money has been taker
out Of city and State by such solicitors do no
profess TO know. No doubt 1t represents a large
amount
We wish II 10 be clearly understood that do no
suggest that the Orientals who have been operat
ing here are swindcrs that those who have Eivei
to them arc victims Our sole object is 20 th
people OF our city and State that swindine so-calle
missionaries are at work this country and that Il
private and public duty for everyone to be caution
IN giving That Is indicated clearly by the-cable new