The New York herald., 1922-12-10
GERMANS Hold TOYS
NCUSTOMS HOUSES
Many Destined for Ameri-
can Stockings Confis-
Gated at Frontier.
EXPORT TAX NOT PAID
Imp0st to Take Goods Out
of Country Runs as High
as 80 Per Cent.
FRAUDS OFTEN WORKED
Merchants Help Buyers to
Evade Duty, While Smugglers
Reap Rich Harvest.

s,scssl CaSls 10 TH. Nxw YosK HmALp-
Copyright, 1858. by THE Nuw York HERALD
Now York Herald Bureau.
Berlin, Dec. 8.
Hundreds of gifts designed for
Christmas stockings in America remain
in customs houses on the German bor-
der. The harvest Of presents from
homeward bound Americans has al
ready begun in accordance with the
German export laws which prevent
the departure of articles unaccom-
panied by export licenses. AS the red
tape involved in obtaining permits is
interminable and the cost heavy the
average tourist prefers to take
chance, but frequently is caught.
AS tho pile Of American bound
Christmas presents in the custom
houses grows the consulate In Berlin
becomes the target Of numerous com
plants from travellers. What am I
TO do?" asked one American woman
on the eve Of her departure. "An l
have are just few little presents
field glasses, cameras. a little Jeweiry
and some table linens" she continued
"r am not taking them out to sell.
They are just Christmas presents.
The Vice-Consul, for the tenth ume
that day.> outlined the German export
laws and explained that whoever taAeS
goods out Of the country must first oo-
tain a license for which from 20 to "
nav cent. Of the value Of the article
must be paid in State fees. The order
excludes nobody and no goods except
necessities of life. Even with these ar
ticles the lines are strictly drawn anu
il the customs collector inslsts' may oo
confiscated.
made no more impression upon the
woman caller than upon any OF the
other travellers who sought advlce.
"WelI. YOU being a representative OF
the American Government, snouio
think YOU could tell me how to get
around paying all that money. 1t isn't
fair" was her answer.
Keeps Busy Explafnfng.
Than the vice-consul had to explain
ali over again, and politely that advlce
on smuggling Is not ono OF the outpues
Of American consulatee. ~ nappcns
over and over again.. ne SAID "earlS
when his caller had gone
Nevertheless evasions are stu more
numerous than seizures. Scores OF
Americans have done their Christmas
shopping In Germany throughout the
summer and have gotten safely away.
The favorfte method and tho most 81
fective was to deal long and lioeraily
with the same merchant, VINO IN con-
alteration Of continued patronage was
not adverse to cheating tho HoVern"en'
for his customer.
In one case brought to ths attsndon
of THE NEW YORK HERALD Bureau
4 900 marks worth OF goods were
taken out by a returning American upon
an export license which described the
goods as being worth less than loVVo
marks. Another purchase OF more tnan
100. 900 marks went through on ceru-
fled license Of 10000 marks. It Is known
that the Government loses thousands
daily by false values. for the mer-
chants are no more In favor OF the
export tax than are their customers
Payment In full would bring the value
of goods the normal price OF which
Is cheap In Germany up to the world
market level. II Is Just this that the
law is Intended to do. for II articles
are taken out cheaply they can be
sold below the figures asked by reputa-
bIe foreign dealers in German goods
who pay all export and import duties.
In the, early days Of the year before
the law was strictly applied tourists
went out with trunks filled with cheap
geods made cheaper by the difference
in exchange. Optical and PHOTOGRAPHIC
goods were the chief articles carried
out.
smuggIers Reap Harvest.
Bolder smuggiers who came In legions
TO Germany paid no attention to the
export laws. Americana, Englishmen
and Frenchnien bought heavily and sue
ceeded In evading the authorities
Among them were n number OF women
who bought thousands OF dollars worth
of fine linens which we're extraordinary
bargains n was the escape OF all
these goods that brought the tighten
ing Of ths rules and now, as Clwfstmas
season approaches. travellers with small
articles which formerly might have got
ten through are thoroughly searched
and the confiscations are growing.
As bad as the leakage was through
tourists, II was still worse along the
borders, where Czecho- o-Slovaks and Swiss
crossed to the nearest towns and out
fitted themselves luxuriously. Along
the Polish borders numerous discoveries
were made OF cases In which entire
trainloads OF goods were smuggled out
by German crews. The Government was
helpless because the law was thoroughly
detested by buyers and sellers. for
eigners and Germans.
While there are strict rules. as well.
on taking foreign or German money out
Of the country. these are not so strin-
gently enforced. 1t remains the law,
however. that money of more than
10000 marks value-barely three or four
dollars-cannot be taken out Permis-.
sion for bank transfer Is necessary to
take more than this sum. Check books
and letters Of credit are not counted
in this category. Special laws obtain
for Russian rubisA