Evening star., 1926-11-21
BIT GEORGE H. DACY.

dresses and gowns from Paris, as well
as mems suits and overcoats from
London, are imported annually to
Washington from the four corners of
the compass and pass through the
customhouse at Georgetown.
Washington customhouse, which,
functions as a SUPPORT of the port of
Baltimore, collected during the last
fiscal year $oI1.7l4 In duties on i'm
ported goods. During the last five
years this Government Office has
more than quadrupled it's business.
This illustrates the ever-increasing
prosperity which pervades the Dis
trict Of Columbia. Furthermore, 1t is
an indication of the fortunes which
have been expended and are being
spent in the assembling OF art relics.
antiques, original paintings by old
masters and other treasures from all
latitudes of the universe, In Washing
ton homes. private galleries and re-
positories.
The rank and file of Washingtoni
ans and Government employees prob
ably do not even know that our Ma
tional Capital Is the site Of an efficient
and we'll organized customs service,
which handles articles of finer quail
ity and grade than those which enter
Washington hnportations, as a rule,
are so superior that, In many in
stances, 1t is impossible to make COM
PARSONS with importations received at
New York and elsewhere In order to
verify invoice valuations
You would be amazed to scan the
list OF annual Washington registra.
ttous on transatlantic steamship rec
2rds. There are hundreds and hun
dreds of Washingtonian of the
weather classes. the congressional
set, Army and Navy folks. retired
capitalists and financiers who go to
Europe at least once a year. When
they return they bring back trunks
packed tightly with clothing, finery,
:. art treasures, curios. antiques and
Whatnot. A steady stream of these
trunkloads of treasure, sent from the
ports of the seven seas. comes .in
pond to Washington. This means
that they are not opened by the
customs officials at the port of entry.
but are speeded to our City of Presi-
dents. On arrival at the custom.
house in Georgetown their contents
are examined carefully. appraised, the
owners or agents are notified and the
goods are delivered to them with re-
markable promptitude as soon as they
pay the taxes.
A WAY back in 1854, when the pop
= lular Potomac linked GEORGETOWN
with the seaboard and was navigahle
by ocean-cruising vessels. the first Gus
tcnnhouse In this neighborhood was
established directly on the waterfront.
The residents OF GEORGETOWN, as well
az commercial importers. developed an
extensive direct-water trade with all
the countries which then bartered with
ships that fiew Uncle Sans nag. From
then to now the Washington district
has engaged In ipternational CON-
merce. Nowadays however, most of
the imports enter such ports as New
York. Boston, Philadel lptia and Baiti,l
more, and are subsequently shippeds
by rail to washington. With the ex-
ceptions OF an occasional schooner load
from New Brunswick and a stray
carep or so Of asphalt from Trinidad,
al imported merchandise received in
Washington for entry other than
mail matter comes in bond, corded
and sealed. from such ports Of first
arrival as New York, Philadelphia,
Baltimore. San Francisco and Seattle.
The cords and seals on all these pack
ages are kept intact until the formal
entry is made by the importer or his
agent and the duty paid. Examina-
tions of the merchandise are then
made and invoice items are checked
with the goods. Heavy penalties are
imposed II undervaluations Of import
ed articles are discovered or If evil
dence Of fraud is detected.
The most extraordinary importation
which ever passed the portals Of
Washington's customhouse was a
pair Of Siamese twins, received about
is years ago as an educational ex-
hibit in scientific collection. The
vicissitudes Of voyaging and railroad
travel proved too much for the di-
nlinutive immigra nts They were
dead when they reached Georgetown.
Wild animals from tropical .jungles
and European wfldernesses have been
delivered as in bond imports" in
Georgetown time and again, for even
tual exhibition In our National Zoo
logical Garden In Rock Creek Park.
The gamut from chirnpanzees to ele-
plants has been run in these exten.
sive importations of natural-history
epeciuens.
to the National. Museum you may
have noted a wonderful crystal ball
about IL inches In diameter. 1t is re-
puted to be one Of the largest and
finest specimens Of It's kind In the
world. A curious customs story is in
terwDven In the Government owner.
ship of this treasure.
Some years ago a certain Chinese
living in New York sought to import
this crystal bah as an antique, which
was duty free. The customs official
at that port, however. decided that
the ball was worth $4,000, was q
dutiable article and subject to le'
gitimate tax OF 80 per cent Of its ap
praised value. The Chinese refused
to pay the duty. ,Bncle Sam conf1s
Gated the crystal ball and 1t now re
poses as an art exhibit In Washing
toms finest museum.
Our national customs experts have
to exercise the talents OF Sherlock
Holmes regularly, in order to cope
with the subterfuges and chicanery
which unscrupulous importers some
times practice. "A case in point i:
that OF certain lady who attempted
to import quintet of artificial sing
ing canaries not so long ago. Wher
the curious trophy was examined ou
Georgetown way the FEDERAL experts
became suspicious. They called in
taxidernist and requested him to ski
make careful examination Of thei
feathers. The taxidermist found tina
the original feathers OF the mocl
songsters had been replaced Will
prohibited feathers Of egrets. bird
Of paradise and the like. All thes
feathers were then removed and con
fiscated, chicken feathers and dowr
were glued to the tiny birds instead
and they were surrendered TO thei
owner after she had paid a heav'
penalty for seeking to evade dut.