The Washington times., 1922-12-17
0rientaIs Being SmuggIed Into
Country by Thousands Every
Year, Says Labor Secretary
CORRUPTION is CHARGED
Declares "Best Minds in
America" Are Behind Plots
To Bring in Undesirables
BY JOHN GOLDSTROM,
Universal Service,

Declaring that some OF Tn
best brains in America" hav'
engaged In bribery and corrup
ton" to smuggle into the Unitet
States by air, land and water TEN
Of thousands Of Oriental coolies
Secretary of Labor Davis yester
day called upon Congress to effec
Q vigorous revision Of the immi
9ration laws.
Apparently referring to his owl
acts In breaking up smuggling
plots. Secretary Davis. in his an
nual report to Congress, charges
that powerful influences had beer
At work to punish officials VIII.
had prevented wholesale smuggling
He said:
CALLS 1T DISGRACE.
1T seems to me that the pres
ent situation with reference to
Oriental labor under our law Ii
simply disgraceful. The pressure
for entry into this country 10
tremendous and apparently well
financed. The schemes and plans
and plots for circumventing the
iaw are most astute and clever,
and in numbers are beyond be-
lief.
zone Of the first acts of the
present administration of this
department WAS to cancel an ar
rangement, apparently innocent
On It's face, for bringing so-called
Industrial students to the United
States for the purpose Of stimu-
lating trade relations between the
two countries.
''It was discovered that those
who had secured this innocent
, looking concession had planned
to bring Approximately 10000
coolie laborers to the United
States at a profit of not less
than $4,000, 900. The details Of
this plan were more astounding.
far-reaching and complete. Some
Of the best brains in America had
been employed to help carry out
the scheme.
"For months after the conces-
sion had been Cancelled, most
unusual efforts were made to
have II reinstated and punish
those who had a part In cancel.
Ing II. Bribery and corruption
are reported as resulting from
all this In most astounding
degree.
"The object is worthy of the
most careful consider lion by
Congress and q most thorough
and cos,,nrahop rayioiop ~
the law.
POSE AS SEAMEN. -
Secretary Davis said that orientals
to the United States as sea
men take advantage of the naviga'
tion laws permitting them to take
shore leave for sixty days to remain
Charging that entire
crews had been smuggled into the
in this manner. he said:
80 extensively has this prac.
stics grown that the reported de.
-eertions at the port of San Fran
cisco alone amount to from seventy
five to one hundred and fisty
month. Desertions at Atlantic
ports of this Same type of seamen
have been very extensive. The
evidence seems conclusive that
nearly all of these are not real sea-
men but secure berths as such with
the sole view of obtaining shore
leave at an American port and
never returning.
ut is practically impossible to
lOcate such deserted seamen Of the
oriental races In our large cities.
II is not an exagseration to say
that prior to the requirement Of
Bond of $500 there were added to
the ,coolie population Of the United
States not less than one hundred
and fifty to two hundred a month.
- "In the summer Of 1921. informa.
ton from various sources reached
this office that about 5000 Chinese
.eeamen were then In New York.
and that they were becoming .
menace to the Representatives Of
their own race. Careful investiga-
.tion showed that there were not
less than $500 Of such seamen In
that city. Gradually these have
been absorbed in industry,
PASS THROUGH CUBA.
"In addition to these sources
by which Chinese laborers are
added to our population through
methods declared unlawful, there
= q constant and evsr-growlng
stream OF unlawful entry not only
0f Chinese but also Of other ex-
cluded races.
"Tha thousands Of miles of
cur land border offer q splendid
opportunity for smuggling, and
a present there IN much Of this
unlawful traffic from the islands
81 the ssa lying soOtheast Of us.
Every year Thousands Of Chinese
Dass around or through the
United states ON their way to
cuba and other islands Of the
west Indies. An Investigation
made Of the situation In Cuba BY
this department during the cur
rent year would indicate that
there are 5000 TO 10000 Chinese
coolies In Cuba who are there
for the cole purpose Of endeav-
oring to smugsie into the United
Btates. ~
covered thst large numbers Of
Chinese coolies are being taken to
the British West Indies through
THE Panama Canal. Thousand.
have passed In transit through
t,ortionr ~ the United States to
Mexico and to Cuba. thousands
have passed through Canada and
gradually find their way into the
fToftcd Sfatea f