Evening star., 1928-11-18
Smuggers Spies Abroad and Officers in Constant Warar

smugglers stateroom uttered a dunn
founded oath when the story was told
him.
MUCH chaff comes with the in
Ava formers grain. 1t is doubtful
whether the Government ever profits
by go per cent of the letters and secret
communiques that pour into customs
Offices. Letter tattling Is a favortte way
of getting revenge for some petty
wrong doing; grant him his revenge,
and the letter writer cares not wheth-
er million people defraud the GUS
toms every day. Most informers are
known by their insincerity.
Some time ago, message to customs
agents told how certain consignment
of cheeses included contrabapd dia-
mondS. A marked case was supposed tc
contain the sparklers. After overhaul
ing the whole shipment and mutilating
a good part of it, agents were forced
to discontinue the search. And Uncle
Sam reimbursed the shippers for
cheeses destroyed.
American jewellers are the StancheSt
supporters of customs laws. The life
of their trade depends directly on the
, efficiency of the customs inspectors.
Should the local marts be flooded with
contraband gems. slump would upset
| American dealers. The American
jewelers. Protective Association offers
rewards for the apprehension of snug
glers. A confidential agent relates this
conversation he had with Fifth
Avenue jeweler:
Jeweler-"I know at least a dozen
society people who have purchased
necklaces, from 10000 to 5000, 900 each,
without paying duty. They boast openly
| of their cleverneSS in getting the stuff
| in without detection. One woman, who
| last year gave an immense sum to char
ity, told me she bought a necklace of
pearls and pigeon-blood rubies for
100000 francs. brought 1t In In my
muff,' she told me-"
| AGENT am not a mind reader.
You have the names of thousand or
more clients on your books. ] can't
grasp the name of this woman out of
air"
Jeweler-"She Is thankful for that"
| Agent-"Too bad. But the informa-
ton may reach me some day."
Jeweler-"Possibly.
| Agent-"Do you know, I sometimes
receive anonymous communications.
In most cases they amount to nothing"
Jeweler-"What do you do with
them?"
Agent-"Chuck EN- In the waste bas-
ket."
Jeweler-"what would be the fate of
an anonymous communication regard
ing certain pearl necklace, should you
receive one?"
Agent-"It would be destroyed-and
have hopes of receiving one tomor-
row morning
Jeweler-"There is no saying that
you might not receive an anonymous
letter as soon as tomorrow morning,
perhaps. / don't believe in anonymous
communications, and you are right
/ when you destroy them. Come in
again.
Uncle Sam protected his informer.
The anonymous letter was received
and destroyed A customs agent was
presented to benevolent lady at a
pink tea, and after some minutes Of
conversation he learned that her ia
vorite sports were giving aims and
smuggling pearls.
France Is complaining that moiety
men are weakening the peoples morals
On one hand, the foreign guests spend
$250,000,000 yearly; and on the other,
a vast army or parasitic spies shadows
| the strangers.
Women's love for fine clothes with
the foreign label is responsible for
many pathetic scenes on the New York
docks. The chic ladies have evolved
| petty smuggling methods, both crude
and ingenious. One took along a
supply of an American department
! stores labels and sewed them on clothes