Evening star., 1928-12-30
BY JAMES WELLAND.

TT is one Of the most astonishing
hold-up games in the world. The
possible gains are truly egreglous,
i and in the wake of failure follow
exposure, loss of reputation and
credit that is, in a business way al
least. sometimes tantamount to ruin
and disgrace. 1t is the game OF en-
deavoring to get the United States
customs appraiser to stamp as very,
very old, and hence of great value, OBJ
jects of foreign art and artistry.
The game divides itself into two
classiflcations, one of which centers
around the efforts of scores OF Amerl-
can travellers abroad to get supposed
ANTIQUES into the country on the ground
that they are art objects and at least
100 years old, as the United States
Government says they must be If they
are to be admitted free. The second
includes the attempts of more sophisti-
Gated cosmopolites who are forever
cooking up monumental art or antique
frauds and fictions and blandly offer-
ing them to the customs men as some
thing beyond compare in age ana
value. Let the customs men admit the
claims and they take the products out
and sell them, saying, Even the Unlted
States Government certitles this Is tnus
and so!'
AS to the first of these antique i'm
porters-the American visitors to for
eign lands--F. j. II. Kraoke, customs
appraiser for the Port OF New YORK,
saws more than half the things they
tote home as antiques are plain frauds,
often as not right out of some modern
factory. His records show that foreign
antique dealers--that is, unscrupulous,
taking dealers-mulct these trusting
sojourners of millions of dollars each
wear. And the travellers, rather than
come out and confess their innocence
abroad. let the matter drop. After all,
it would be manifestly too costly and
time consuming to go right back 10
Europe, hunt up the faker and have
him punished. Besides, the courts OF
Europe do not take kindly to Ameri-
cans, all of whom are supposed to be
rolling in wealth, and who kick about
being cheated out of a few dollars
through their own greed and gullibllity
Tapestries, shawls, furniture, rugs,
glass, china, silver, copper-indeed, al
most everything, says Mr.. Kracke,
comes within the scope OF the faker.
X y X
MOT so long ago, there was brought
into the country an antique, monu-
mental in size, If in nothing else. 1t
was a paneled room, so MIR. Kracke and
his assistants were informed, taken
from a British castle. AS nearly as
the importers could determine, 1t was
built in 1740. The dealer who was
responsible for its importation had
millionaire purchaser for it. The room
was to have place in his newly made
American palace. OF course, 1t would
be admitted free?
Mr.. Kracke had his own men look 1t
over-he has under him corps OF 900
men, all skilled to the last degree In
some particular line. A little old
gentleman who has spent his life In
the service of the Government going
over endless antiques and supposed an
tiques looked at the room, took off his
glasses and spoke with finality.
This is reproduction" he said
Some sticks and parts may be very
old, but the room is a modern repro
duction. / should say that 1t calls for
a duty payment of 100000"
The importers were indeed indig-
nant The old expert was bland and
firm. 1t was all nothing to him per-
sonally; there was his Judgment. Mr..
Kracke, genial, agreeable gentleman,
called in outside experts who are glad
to serve in such instances without pay.
They confirmed the Government veter-
ans assay. The top molding Of the
fine e-looking fireplace was done in one
period, and the cross paneling was
shown to be composed in the styles of
period, and the cross-paneling was
more. in the back Of the fireplace