Shibata

Bound for the United States from Japan, the appellant, a Japanese alien, arrived at the port of Victoria, B. C., on the steamship Kashima .Maru in September, 1919. The circumstances of his first appearance on shore there were such as reasonably to give rise to the suspicion that he had entered clandestinely. A few days later, on October 3, he came to Seattle, and, upon being brought before the Immigration Board of Special Inquiry, he exhibited a passport regular upon its face, and, in so far as is shown, authentic Put under oath *637 and interrogated, he testified in some detail that he had formerly come to this country for the purpose of buying dairy stock, and had remained here several years, until 1918. Cautioned that his story might be checked up, after a short hesitation he repudiated it, and then testified that he had shipped and come as a sailor. Later upon the same day, and before the hearing was completed, admitting that this story also was untrue, he stated that he had formerly come as a stowaway.

Deciding that he was “a person likely to become a public charge” because of his conduct in making such false statements under oath, the Board ordered him held for deportation.…