Evening star., 1924-08-12
BOOTLECCING IMMIGRANTS
BY EDGAR MELS.
ARTICLE II.

| captain is silent on his exploits. Far
| out from civilization. he sits beneath
| the stars-watches. In the distance
he spots tiny, moving speck. Ihen
| another and another. His binoculars
prove that they are men, stopping low,
| crawling along the ground, SO as not
to be visible at distance.
| How Capture Is Made.
| The captain is hid behind giant
| cactus. The night is dark and the
shadows heavy. He is in wait just
this side the American line. The
smugglers approach cautiously. AS
| they near, the captain sees that there
are 20 of them. led by an American.
| BY this time they are within 100 feet
| of the boundary.
| The captain bides his time. He
cannot act until they have crossed the
| imaginary line which divides the two
! countries. AT last the 20 are cross
| ing. The last of them is on American
| soil. Then the captain rises with
guns pointed.
| Hands up!" he shouts.
| There are cries of dismay. One or
| two of the Mexicans start to run.
| The captain fires warning shots. The
| men return to their companions.
| Throw your guns at my feet"
commands the captain.
Half dozen guns drop as directed.
| In the meantime the shots have at
| tracted the captains aides. Soon the
20 are rounded up and marched to
the lookup at the nearest town.
Eventually the immigration authori-
| ties get the crew and they are de-
ported. The smuggler is sent to
prison.
| Capt. Hanson is one of many men
who are giving their best to the land
| of their birth. They are underpaid,
risk their lives constantly and are
| doing fine work in a cause which is
vital to the future welfare of the
| American workingman.
| Take Jobs From Americans.
! This phase of the situation is ex-
| pressed best by Secretary Davis, who
| says:
"Mexicans are crowding American
workingmen out Of their jobs, be-
| cause they are willing to take en-
| ployment at wages which would not
| permit the worker to live on the
basis of American standards of
living"
| w, w. Sibray, assistant immigra-
tion commissioner, declares that the
question of Illicit Mexican immigra-
tion is most serious one.
| while less than $4,000 Mexicans
| entered the CHlteQ SIaIeS legally last
year." he said to the writer, yet, if
we add the illegally smuggled in, or
those who smuggle themselves in, the
total would be easily double. There
are, to all intents and purposes. no
! restrictions on Mexican immigration.
| The immigration law should be
amended to restrict influx from the
| south and north. immigration is a
| question for ourselves to settle. We
have the right to say who shall enter
and who shall stay out. And there
are SO many illegal entries from the
| north and south that restriction should
| be put in force
| And yet, bad as is the Mexican Sit
uation, it is mild when compared to
that existing in our ports of entry,
| where the most undesirable of all
| the undesirables enter almost at will.
| 1t is in the seacoast cities, especially
| the larger ports, that wholesale en-
| tries are made by aliens not entitled
to live here. How many thousands Of
these aliens enter in the guise of de-
| serting seamen no one can estimate.
But the total must be very great in
deed.
This phase of the situation will be
described from official records in the
| next article, to appear tomorrow
| Copyright, 1924, by Curreat News Features,
| Incl