The Union daily times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1918-current, 1922-09-26
OFFICERS UNEARTH
SMUGGLING SCHEME

Washington, Sept. 25 (By the As
sociated Press >.-Smuggling of Eu-
ropean aliens into the United States
from Cuba, surreptitious ubmer9-
ing temporarily in the waters Of the
Florida coast of large Quantities Of
liquor by international bootleggers'
and mock marriages designed to in.
sure entry into this country Of wo-
men barred by immigration laws,
form the basis of report submitted
to Secretary Davis by the bureau of
immigration.
This report, Commissioner General
Husband said today, is the most COM
prehensive review of smuggling con-
ditions ever prepared by immigration
officials and is expected to be consid-
cred by the treasury, labor and ag-
riculture departments in connection
with the proposed coordination of bor-
der patrol forces.
Government Investigators, by direc-
tion Of Mr.. Husband, visited Jack
sonville, Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Mi
ami, Key West and Habana. They
mingled, it is said, with the "kings"
OF the smuggling industry" and talk
ed with aliens of every nationality
who sought entry to the United
States. The data gathered, it is
stated, will prove invaluable to the
government in coping with situa-
ton which has taxed the ingenuity o.
federal agents to combat. The snug
Cling famifications, it is declared, ex-
tend to the capitals of Europe and
involve Greeks, Spaniards, Poles,
Rumanians, Russians and Chinese.
The report states that the favorite
method of gaining entry to the Unit
ed States from Cuba for Italian wo-
men has been for them to enter into
flake" marriages with naturalized
American citizens who, for certain
considerations, go through mock cere-
monies and then accompany their
"wives" to some Florida point. Ere
quently, it is said, "bridegrooms''
have been paid as high as 5000 for
their part in the scheme. The prin-
cipal smugglers in Habana, the inves-
tigators declared, do not confine their
activities to smuggling aliens into
the United States but also handle
whiskey and narcotics. The majority
of leaders are said to be nsturaiized
Americans. 81,
s spsat Y.
craft, it is declared, are OF Cuban
registry, and do not enter or clear
at. the customs house. The names
used by the schooners and power
launches, it is declared, are inscrib
ed on plates readily removable and
some vessels are said to carry ,.ver-
al name plates. Destination of such
craft when leaving Cuba are not al
ways fixed, the inspectors report, add
ing that a majority of the bigger
schooners anchor outside the customs
limit off the American coast and send
their load, if aliens, ashore a few at
q time in small boats, if liquor or
narcotics the cargo is often submerg-
ed at a predesignated point and
grappled up subsequently at leisure.
Probably no less than four or five
vessels with aliens and contraband
goods cross from MatanZas to the
United States each week( the report
states.
In Habana, according to the re-
ports, hundreds of aliens throng Cen
trail park in the afternoon and at
night, and constantly a dozen or more
men, obviously not of the floating
alien type, operate among them, go
ing from group to group. These men,
it is explained, are runners" for the
smuggling kings"
There is no employment in Cuba for
thousands of the Chinese and Euro
pean aliens now there, it is reported,
yet since the present passport and
amended immigration restrictive act
became operative in this country last
May at least 1000 aliens are known
to have arrived in Habana with the
ultimate hope of gaining surrepti-
tious entry into the United States.
There are at present it is estimated
approximately 10000 Chinese alone
in Cuba for whom there is no employ
ment.
In fact, the report AYERS, the Ori-
entails will not accept work under any
circumstances except to earn suf-
fcient money with which to pay pas
sage to this country or Mexico. The
usual fee charges for smuggling
aliens, it is learned, ranges from $500
to $1,000 for each Chinese and about
$3.50 for an European alien.
Many of the master smugglers" in
Habana conduct shops as ''blinds,
the report discloses, and conduct
their illegal operations "on the quiet
One of the favorite routes Of the
smugglers, it is learned is from Ha-
bana to Long Key, thence up the
: coast past Turkey Point to Miami,
through Hope Sound, past Palm
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