Evening star., 1924-08-11

Editors note-This, the first OF
series Of six articles exposing the
smuggling Of aliens into the
United States-which has become
national menace. According to
official governmental statistics,
from $4,000 to 100000 aliens are
bootlegged into the United States
annually. A border police Of 450
men, without power boats, with
out adequate arms, patrols 49,
900 miles of boundary. Rum rum
ners are doing a land office busi-
ness bringing in aliens. In Cuba
alone there are $4,000 Chinese
awaiting entry; in Vancouver
there are thousands more. In
Lower California there are also
thousands. And the authorities
admit themselves practically
powerless to stem this influx of
undesirable immigrants. Follow
ing articles by Edgar Mels will
be published daily on the editorial
page of The Star.
There are 25, 900 Chinese waiting In
Cuba, watching chance to be
smuggled into the United States.
They are willing to pay from $i0O
to $500 head to any one who
will bootleg them into America All
they ask is that some boat bound
for our coast take them aboard and
then. on some dark night, set them
ashore on the mainland, preferably
on the Florida coast.
In the Vancouver section there are
probably another 5000 Chinese wait
ing for similar opportunity. So
far as Lower California is concerned,
we have no accurate estimate
ManV nf fhaSa hnnf1aoy inn ,icr &c,
of all nationalities. fall into our
hands. but thousands undoubtedly
each year reach their destinations in
the larger cities, where they are
swallowed up in the vortex of hu-
manity. When they once get among
their fellow countrymen here it is
almost impossible to pick them up
that II Chinese, belonging to the
coolie class, enters. even though such
entry be illegal, and after that entry
allies himself with Chinese mer-
camille establishment, it is practi-
cally impossible subsequently to eff
feet his deportation, as such Chinese
finds little difficulty in producing wit
nesses to testify to his legal initial
entry.
Coast Line Hard to Guard.
We have an enormous coast line.
Yet the Congress will not permit us
to buy power boats. We can only
operate on land-and, how can we
anticipate here a landing will be
made? Our men are getting 81 $50 a
year for risking their lives continu-
ously. The government does not fur
nish arms to them and they must buy
such arms as they think best suited
They need sawed-off guns-but must
buy them out of their pay.
The Florida coast, with its many
inlets and bays. is the haven of the
traffic. So is the Jersey shore So
is the Gulf of California And as
for lower Louisiana and Texas coast
we have not the men to patrol
them even in a halfway manner.
Then there are the Mexican and
the Canadian borders. We are plac-
ing zoo men on the southern border,
and ESQ on the Canadian line. We
need ten times as many to stop the
evil of smuggling aliens. 1t is made
easy by the exemption Of our nearest
neighbors from the restriction of the
quota law, because it provides con-
venient bases for the assembling of
aliens seeking to enter in violation
of the law.
During the fiscal year of 1923. 522.-
91S immigrants were legally admitted
from all sources. OF these, however,
only 335,4so were from so-called
quota countries. Mexico supplied
63.7Ss legally admitted Immigrants;
Canada sent US 117,011. In other
words. immigration from countries
not restricted last year amounted to
more than two-thirds of that from
the countries of E,urope rilIiop