El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-05-13
WAVING PASSPORTS HELPS TRADE;
PERMIT CARDS CF4ECKLIQUOR TRAFFIC

A INVOLVEMENT from the office Of the secretary OF
a state at Washington that passport restrictions on the
border longer to be enforced and that permit cards
viii be issued by collectors Of customs to those DESTROYS Of
visiting Mexican border towns places in the interior,
means that the removal Of restrictions long desired by FL
Paso has been accomplished
The announcement means that it VIII be possible for
anyone this side with the possible exception Of enemy
aliens OF others whose departure from this country at the
present time would he contrary to public policy, to secure
permit to 60 Juarez into the interior and transact
any business he may have there may be able to develop
there This is the first step in the restoration Of normal
conditions the consummaon Of which wiz come when the
restriction shipments of goods is withdrawn completely
Those who complain that the requirement Of permit
cards which necessitates trouble procure, Is
useless enforcement of red tape should realize the gov
eminent several things which it must take into consd
grafton connection with the border situation Chief
among these is the necessity Of keeping check on enemy
aliens others Of questionable attitude who long have
eager get ont Of the grip Of the United States and
would welcome exit to Mexico Some Of them occasionally
Try to effect the crossing a unguarued points aog he
border Also there unknown fbusterers in this
Try who would be free to into Mexico there were
certificate requirement
There is the further that thousands Of 50
called Americans sought refuge in Mexico from the draft
most of them still there. few have returned
given themselves up. Some may have skipped back
into this country unaWare but the majority OF them are
still eing existence in Mexico best they can
They have been informed that the United States hopes to
have the pleasure Of arresng them and court Iarag
them on charges Of deserton If they return any time
within the 100 years Nevertheless they would
ike to get hack to the States and If there
representing immigration officials the border that
they had recently crossed into Mexico business and
were returning?
This certificate system VIII work out well IN conlune-
ton with prohibition in Texas customs collectors choose
to make 1t do the holder Of certificate shows
tendency hsbtualy 90 TO Juarez and get drunk
he gives suspicion Of b0otegging tendency, It viii be
easy enough to cut short his work by revokng his permit
Judici0us issuance Of permits and equally judci0us
cation Of them ought to be sufficient to keep check
the liquor traffic
IF intercourse between FL Paso and Juarez
stcted FL Pas0 being "dy" and JuaTeZ wet" It is
soysbe that returning would be half filled with in
toated persons TO the disgust not the danger Of sober
persons that the drinking would in JuaIez and the
drunken fighting IN FL Paso and that those who habitualy
crossed to Juarez for liquor would be tempted Try
booteggng The fact that the immigration service
VII know the identity Of each person crossing the border
VII sort Of check those whose actions
otherwise might be unrestrained-
This is but makehift sure The difficult situa
tion Of dry city side Of river and
wet town the other side cannot be removed until the
vet TOWN this case, Juarez-becomes "dry" But the
certificate system help prevent the liquor problem from
getting entirely out Of hand.