WO remarks I heard during my visi Tientsin, May 2. to Tientsin' will give the best idea of the incredible East Hopei coast has assumed. dimensions the smuggling on the In reply to a question of mine about the smuggling, a certain business man who had just returned from Peitaiho sai saw no smuggling.
T only saw 38 vessels of all sorts and sizes lying out in the bay and discharging cargo into dozens of sampans, and the beach as busy 2s The Bund here in Tientsin in the height of the shipping season, You can't call that smuggling any more.
That's Free Trade.
It is not even a free port; it is free coast nowed: ays.'
The other remark was equally illuminating.
T asked a Russian engaged in the smuggling business whether there was any limit to the amount of goods that he could bring in.
"No limit at all," he replied, "I will bring in anything you want, anything except, perhaps, an elephant,'
Tu other words, an entirely now for the greater part of the contra-economic situation is being created. band cargo is stowed in specially East Hopel rapidly is becoming a hired godowns—former "private Free Trade area from where duty-houses!—in the Japanese Concession. free goods are beginning to penetrate to all parts of North China, limited solely By the comparative: cost of The final blow to the efforts of transportation. The. dislocation of the Chinese Maritime Customs to trade that this sudden change cope with "the situation was given bringing about is nothing less. than when the East Hopel goverment put catastrophic.
In their own Customs stations, which The First Impetus taxed these smuggled goods a quarter of the legitimate duty and then de-Before discussing the actual effect clared them free of all further taxa. on trade, T wil give a short resume tion and not to be interfered with of how this. smuggling has reached by the tax officers of the Central {fs present dimensions. The first ime Government, With the breakdown petus to smuggling in these parts was of the railway agreement, the Cusfiven by the ill export of sliver toms defences have collapsed, and dollars by bands of "Koreans. and during the last two months, along Sapanese Foughs (alas the whole stretch of coast between was part of the "policy of preser Shanhaikuan and the mouth of the fof the Kwantung Army" authorities Peitang River, a vast spate of cargo fo undermine the Chinese currency has been pouring into the country They therefore winked at the smug free of duty, with official connivance, ling of. sliver. The eyes. of the one must suppose, with the full Smugaling fraternity were soon opene approval, of the Japanese authorities, fed to the fact that here was a per-"The chief centres of this now activfectly sate and. highly prom table Hty, the new free ports in the literal means of making money." They tum-sense of the word, are the beaches fed. their attention to. fresh methods at Peitaiho, Chinwangtao, Nantashih, find other forms of contraband. Lorand that near Liushouying. The tes ended with bags of sugar and railway stations most used are Chin-attical silk, shipped by rail to Jehol wangtao, Peitaiho, Changll, Liu-from: the free port of Dairen, and shouting, and Luahehow. The most funded by armed Koreans, "were Incredible scenes take place here, as driven. forcibly past. the, Customs described by eye-witnesses. When. ations at the passes on the Great the smuggling started on a small Wall, As. these stations were within scale, and goods were brought in the demilitarized zone, the Customs luggage, the early morning passenger OMiclals were not allowed to. carry train for Tientsin, which was the one ten, trid therefore were powerless, favoured by the Korean gentry, was "The smugglers became even bolder, tenerally known as "The Smugglers Direct shipment by sea from Dairen Train." "It is now, however, no longer. was obviously much cheaper. Last a case of personal luggage, but October, junks and trawlers began freight cars, and doubtless before making their appearance off the coast Jong will be a question of whole Between Shanhatkuan and Peitaiho, freight trains.
When Customs cruisers attempted to else them, the Kwantung Army pro-No Fear of Seizure tested that this was a breach of the Dozens of trawlers and steamers, of terms of the Tongkit Truce Agree: much as 1,000 tons, lie in. the ment, The revenue cruisers. there: roadstead and discharge into a fleet fore had. to be withdrawn, although of sampans which bring the cargo the, Customs always have insisted ashore. "It is then stacked up on the tat, it ey were allowed to perform beach by gangs of Chinese coolles hele dulles, they could stop the emugworking under the supervision of ling by sea within a week. "When armed Koreans, and kept there quite the Customs emeers tried 0 collect openly and without any fear of selduty on the contraband landed on faure. Each lot of goods is marked {the open beaches, they were beaten with a white flag carrying the name by Koreane armed with clube, Jof''the Japanese transportation company that has brought in the cargo, Protests by the Customs against The beaches present a scene of the these essaulls were ignored by the Breatest activity; in fact, East Hopel Sapanese authorities, whereas, if any police have been sent there to keep these Korean seallywags "(Japai order and regulate the trail {se nationals) were hurt In the very From the beaches the cargo is car-lightest sin these trays, large claims ried by coolles, animals, carts, and for compensation were put in. A now even by a fleet of motor lorries pause was put to this coastal smug-fon to freight cars which are forcibly Gling, and the Customs given a reized by the Koreans, who, however, Spite! by the freezing up of the Gull have to pay the full freight charges. owing to the severe winter, "but, On some days, as much as 400 tons when, navigation re-opened, the of cargo, oF about ten freight cars, Smuggling staried with renewed vigo have been despatched from Chin-our. giao alone. A pleasant air "The Customs having been driven legality 1s added to all this by the out of their frst. two lines of deestablishnient of East Hopel tax sta-fence, fell back on a third. On March tions at all" the above-mentioned Bin they managed to. persuade the plies, The boards hanging ouleide Pi Peiping oilway Administration 0 these lax offices bear characters read-Agree not to accept freight cargo ex: Ing "Chi Tung Coastal Imported opt againat a Customs transportation Goods "Examination Bureau........ permit This, If not completely stop-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.