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Show GIRLS ARE SMUGGLED Horrors of the White Slave Trade Disclosed in San Francisco San Francisco, Dec. 7. Seven Chi- j nese girls, captured on Sunday when an attempt was being made to smuggle smug-gle them ashore from the steamer Manchuria, told a story yesterday that 1 for brutal honor concedes nothing to the workings of tho early African slave trade. If the negroes wero treated like cattle, these Chinese girls would say they were not even given the attention, the light or the freedom that is allowed to cattle. There Is no doubt that the girls wero bejng brought here to be sold into the slave trade. Their ages are from 14 to 19 years. All but oue of them declare that they were kidnaped in Hongkong. Thle one had previously previous-ly been In America and had been deported de-ported because of her calling. The narrative was obtained from the girls by Chief Assistant Immigration Immigra-tion Commissioner Harry Edsell, who spoke to them In their. own tongue': - They said, they had made the Journey Jour-ney from China In a locker fourteen fevt square below deckB a -place without ventilation and with none of the conveniences of modern life. Not I a ray of light, natural or artificial, did they Bee on the whole voyage. The eight Chinese men who were captured cap-tured at the same time as the girls, were with them In this den, but no one else visited them until thoy reached port. Their only food and drink was some dried fruit and cid tea of which a supply had been left for theiit before the departure of the boat Ono of the girls, the youngest of i the party, says she had come from I her country home on a visit to Hong-1 kong. A smooth-tongued countryman told her a great pageant was being ' held on the big American steamer ' and said ho thought he might be ( able to gain admission for her. She. fell into the trap Another says she was drugged by her kidnaper. Edsell says a thorough Investigation Investiga-tion is to be made cf the operations of the smuggling ring that is supposed suppos-ed to be at work, and that every ef fort will be made to discover whether any government officials are involved. |