The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-12-09
Used to Snuggle
$5,OOO,OOO in Diamonds
Cheeses and Books in Parcel Post Concealed Gems Sent
From Amsterdam-New York Ring
Involved in Plan.


Details OF diamond smuggling plots by
means Of which diamonds Of several mil
lions Of dollars value have been brought
into New York without paying duty
were told 70 THE Sun yesterday by n
man familiar with the diamond business
of Antwerp. 1t was his estimate that
in the last six months diamonds worth
S5.000.000 had arrived In New York
hidden In parcel post packages. The
smuggling has been stopped by the seiz-
ure. . fortnight ago. OF the last parcel
sent. a British cruiser. noslng about
the North Sea. stopped boat hound
from Rotterdam to Copenhagen. exam
ined the mail aboard and confscated the
particular parcel In which were con-
cealed diamonds to the value Of 2.A00, 900
francs S<s0.o0o).
The man VINO had mailed the dia-
monds 1t Amsterdam was aboard.
Tho parcel was consigned to him at New
York. His emotions at the sight Of a
British naval officer going over the side
with the precious packet are not Of rec
ord. This man. II is understood. came
on to New York and then the four firms
and three individuals who owned the
diamonds heard what had become OF their
shipment. Back OF the adventures OF
this unlucky lot of Jewels lies AN un-
usual tale OF conditions In one OF the
most adventurous businesses on earth.
In past years the German Government
has had its own supply OF diamonds
from mines in East Africa. Berlin dia-
mond merchants gradually accumulated
good sized reserve Of uncut stones
from these mines. 80 that when the Eu-
ropean war began they had A plentiful
, supply on hand.
Forced Dia nsOnd Cutters to Work
After the German occupation OF Bel.
gium heavy fnes-generally a sum ten
| fold the usual taxes-were levied or
| all Belgian manufacturers who did no
return to Belgium and reopen their fac
/ tories. To escape this tax. some OF the
diamond manufacturers-the men whose
skilled workers cut and polish rougi
etones--resumed business. All OF tn
Antwerp diamond merchants who wer'
Austrian and German subjects set W
IN business again and the Berlin dia
mond merchants sent TO Antwerp larg,
quantities Of their stones for cutting ant
! polishing In Amsterdam. centre OF tn,
! diamond industry. manufacturer hav'
to pay their skilled workers fif,y I,
eighty pulden ts2O to s32) a week Bu
when the diamond manufacturers re
sumed business in Belgium the sk!lle,
cutters and polishers there were starv
ing. They were put back to work a
about % marks $50 week. Thi
! cheapened labor made 1t possible imme
dately for the Antwerp manufacturer
| " produce cut stones at an average O
30 per cent less than Amsterdam could
Only one problem arose. How coul,
these cut stones he got to Amer
lea and sold at the market price. yield
ing aE enormous profitH
Several Antwerp dealers made up
packet of diamonds which were en-
trusted TO n man who carried them I
Amsterdam. There he hid them In n
innocent object suitable FOR mailin
which he addressed to himself at Ne,
York. or TO the confederate. The pack
age was then mailed as n parcel a
Amsterdam. This defeated the Unite
States customs. for when the packar
was opened at New York to see II
contained anything dutiable or Susp
cious. the customs inspectors gazed upo