A HORRIBLE JOURNEY.

Southland Times, Issue 14634, 26 January 1911, Page 7

A HORRIBLE JOURNEY.

SMUGGLING CHINESE INTO AMEBICA. (Melbourne “Age” Correspondent). SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 14. A tale of horror, scarcely less revolting than that of the Black Hole of Calcutta, was related in San Franclso last week, when fifteen Chinese —eight men and seven women—were captured upon landing after being smuggled across the Pacific Ocean in the big passenger liner Manchuria. The fifteen Orientals had made the journey of 25 days from Hong Kong huddled together in a room 14 feet square, low ccilinged, hare, dingy, and without conveniences. Upon a fare of water, cold tea, biscuits and dry fruit they subsisted, and none of the stowaways left the room for a moment during the voyage. It was a foul hole out of which the emaciated Chinese tottered after reaching the port of San Francisco. The ring which trades in the smuggling of Chinese into America —including in its membership officials of both the customs and immigration services— succeeded In getting the fifteen sick and half-starved Chinese overboard when night fell. In a bay boat they were rowed ashore, but just at the point of success of the scheme it failed. An official saw them and they were caught while landing. The Chinese will be deported by the next vessel to tho Orient. Such is the eagernes of Chinese to sneak into the United States, in defiance of the exclusion laws that the Government officials have their hands full in watching every point of entry. Along both the Mexican and Canadian borders incessant guard is maintained, Smuggling in of Chinese women is the most remunerative traffic. The girls are sold into bondage in San Francisco’s Chinatown. Slave girls they are called, and they become forced inmates of immoral houses. Tliis traffic is so profitable that the ring is prepared to take huge risks in order to land a cargo of women here. It is staled that girls are sold in Hong Kong for from £6O to £IOO each, and that in San Francisco they are resold from £SOO to £7OO apiece, according to beauty and youth. But in many cases the women are not bought in China, but are kidnapped, just as negroes were of old kidnapped in Africa. One of the girls who came over in the foul dungeon of the Manchuria is but 15 years old. She told the immigration authorities that she was met on the streets of Hong Kong by an agent of the smuggling ring and lured into a cafe, where she was drugged. While insensible she was taken on board the Manchuria, and when she awakened she was in tho little 14 feet square room with tho six other girls and eight men. Some of the girls were told glowing talcs of life in America—that rich husbands were awaiting them in a land of freedom, where there would bo only happiness for them. H is said that Hong Kong is the chief distributing point for Chinese slave girls, and that from that city they are shipped to Chinese settlements in different parts of the world. As a result of the latest revelations the United States Government will request the British authorities in Hong Kong to aid in stamping out the traffic. One obstacle to be contended with in doing tliis is the willingness of Chinese parents to sell their daughters into this kind of slavery. One of the seven now in custody in San Francisco admits that she was sold by her father, and some of the others were also sold by relatives.