San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-03-25
SAY CHINESE SMUGGLED
INTO UNITED STATES BY
PLANE AT $1,000 A HEAD
Assistant Secretary of Labor Says Orientas Hidden
in China Towns Until Fake Papers Made Out.
Airplanes Have Mufflers to Prevent Detec-
tion-May Increase Guard on Border.

Smuggling from the Mexican border
to Fort Worth or Dallas is a far
more lucrative business than snug
Cling liGuor by the air route, if ru-
mors in San Antonio that Chinese are
being carried by air at the rate of
$1,000 each is true. That such lille
gal traffic is being carried on is the
belief of more than one federal Off
cial.
A more serious, If less spectacular
problem confronting the immigration
authorities in this district, is the in
yestigation now being conducted upon
the heels of the report that hundreds
of Mexican laborers have been induced
to come to the United States on the
promise of work and the charge that
they had been transported from San
Antonio to Fort Worth, where they
were left stranded.
Report Made Here.
Although some time has ELAPSED
since the United States district at
torney at Fort Worth telegraphed Sec
rotary of the Department Of Labor
the information that 300 Mexicans
are now in Fort Worth, out OF work,
and that the majority of them have
rot said the Immigrant head tax, no
word has been received by the ibillil-
grafton officials in San \ ltUnio as TO
whether or not the secretary of labor
has given instructions rs TO how the
Trablem is to be handled.
That an investigation has been con
ducteo in San Antorio was indicated
BY Ccpt. W. NJ. Hanson, inspector in
charge of the Sa Antonio immigra-
ton district, which includes Fort
Worth. Captain Hanson asserted that
an official report had been made and
that accompanying the report, recon-
mendations IS to how the problem
should be handled were included. Tic
INN. grafton head, however, refused 20
divulge the contents of the report Oh
the mature of the recommendations,
st ,tDg that he could not make known
the matter until tn; report had reach
ed the proper author ties.
Quota Sestio.l 9.
The problem of handling the thou
sands Of Mexicans in Texas who have
crossed over the border without pay
ing the head tax of SIS. each is of no
mean proportion, Captain Hanson
said. There is no penalty, other than
deportation, for illegal entry into this
country. If each of the Mexicans who
have not paid their head tax were
rounded up by immigration officials,
10 would mean a tremendous expense
and a difficult task on the part of
the department, it was explained.
If the charges that the Mexicans
were induced to cross the border into
the United States on the promise of
work are substantiated and persons
on this side of the river are known to
be involved, criminal as well as civil
prosecution will probably be institut-
ed, it was indicated, as the immigra-
ton laws in this respect are explicit.
Section 6 of the immigration act
provides: sThat it shall be unlaw-
full and be deemed violation of sec
ton 8 of this act to induce. assist,
encourage or solicit, or attempt TO in
duce, assist or encourage, or solicit
any alien to come into the United
States by promises of employment
through advertisement printed. pub
lished or distributed in any foreign
countries. whether such promise is
true or false. and either the civil or
criminal penalty or both imposed by
said section shall be applicable to
such case"
Urge Educational Campaign.
Section ) is designed TO prevent the
bringing Of contract labor to the
United States except under certain
conditions. For each violation, the