Evening star., 1925-03-30
BY GEORGE BRIGGS.

Correspondence of The Star and the Ihlcaso
Daily News.
HAVANA, Cuba, March 50-The
business of spiriting women across
the American frontier is, a distinct
branch of the elaborate system of
thwarting the immigration laws.
Marriage to an American citizen
affords means to that end. SO Ha-
vana is beginning TO betrecognized
as the marriage mart of the world.
Women como here from foreign
lands intent on becoming the wives
of Americans. The marriages in some
cases are temporary. But the cere-
mony which makes foreign woman
the bride of d citizen of the United
States entities her to the right of en-
try into and citizenship in the land
of the free and easy. The nuptial
rites may be ignored once the bridal
couple set foot on American soil. Who
will know And what could be done
about it if the truth were known?
The process might be described as
the making Of law.
Since the immigration law became
operative last July $50 women have
mana ged to enter the States by talk
ing American husbands in Havana.
They came to Cuba for that specific
purpose because the quota linita-
tions for their native countries pre-
cluded their entering otherwise. The
$50 went through the formality of
marrige ceremony. There is no way
of reckoning how many gained ad-
lnittance as wives without that for
mality.
Resort to Many Tricks.
Nor is there any means of telling
how many wives" one man may TAX 9
into the United States. Any one un
scruruous enough TO cheat the law
once may he expected to repeat the
performance. While hundreds of
travellers are passing from Cuba to
the states daily it is possible for an
American TO take a different woman
on each trip he makes to Key West or
other American port.
Tricke1y is employed when neces-
sary to escape embarrassing niceties
I'm the Cuban and American marriage
forms. Proxy marriages, for instance,
are legal in Cuba In the United
States wedding ceremony without
both bride and bridegroom present
and asserting would have no stand
ing under the law. In Cuba a church
wedding is not official. The rites to
be legal must be performed by a
magistrate.
What is known as the 'chevo route"
exists in Cuba "Chevo" Is Spanish
for goat, and goat Is the sympol OF
graft.
Casa Blanca, across the harbor from
Havana, is the favorite resort of can
ddates for American citizenship who
wish to achieve that standing by
engaging in matrimony, whether real
and permanent or a nero subterfuge
to facilitate transit for a new daugh-
ter-in-law for Uncle Sam.
Odd Plight of the Banzsa.
Peter Banzas of 347 West Twenty
fifth street, New York City, wanted to
marry a girl who had. come from Eu-
rope to this back door to- America"
to become his bride and SO proce led
to New York. Banzas was busy work
ing last September and could not af-
ford the time or expense Of coming &
to Havana for the wedding. He ar
ranged with a countrynan in Havana,
a Spaniard, to have him stand up
with the bride-elect- After the mar
riage by proxy Banzas' substitute was
to ship the new-made American to
New York. Agreed. The prospective
Mrs Peter Banzas and the proxy
bridegroom proceeded to Casa Blanca
and stood before Judge D. Penate
and were duly married"
Complications arose when the ever
vigilant clerks at the American con-
sulate discovered discrepancies in the
documents presented to show Mrs.
Banzas'" right to enter the United
States. The passport picture of Ban