The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1897-12-03
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AS THE CELEBRATED IVY IL w ILL
| Genoese, Lombards and Venetians who
go to South America in droves five times
as numerous, probably 65 per cent. can
sign their names.
The better people go south for sew
eral reasons. The cost of passage is
much greater, thus turning in our d.
rection adventures with little means.
Thrifty people go to South America and
| take their families with them, instead
of coming here and making frequent
visits home. Some of the South Ameri-
can states give immigrants free land
and even temporary aid in building
houses and securing cattle and tools.
The Italians are splendid farmers at
home. If they get free land in new
country where taxes are light they
thrive accordingly.
There is another reason for the Ital-
ian preference for South America.
Emigrants meet there on fairly even
terms the Spanish races, whose Ian
guage and ways IRE more like their
own. They harmonic at once. They
do not get on so well with the Portu-
| guese element in Brazil, but it is
thought that the troubles there are
nearly over. The Italian and Brazilian
governments are patching up their
causes of quarrel, and it is likely that
the former power will soon be able to
guard the interests of emigrants as
carefully in Brazil as in Argentina
as carefully as Commentators Rossi's
bureau guards over them at Ellis
island.
Because the Italians have gone to
Argentina so freely Buenos Ayres is
now the metropolis of South America,
| and Rio is back number.
Buenos Ayres has 100000 inhab-
itants, of whom 100000, it is estimated,
are italian. Throughout Argentina
| they are increasing in numbers and
eftecting the gradual, bloodless change
of the finest part of the southern con-
tinent to an Italo-Amcrican strong
hold.
For one thing, pure Spanish blood is
not so plenty in the nations to the
southwark as might be supposed. The
| language is spoken, but in the popu-
lation negro and Indian races are a
very strong element, and the mestijos.
or haf-breeds, perhaps strongest of all.
The Spaniards are proud and master
full race, but not recently very prolific
one, and there is not much Spanish
emigration to keep up their proportion
in the south.
That is another reason why half
America may become Italianized.
The Italians leave home in such num-
bers, with the tacit approval of their
government, because they are so prolific
that there isn't room for them all at
home, and the government understands
it. They are the same sturdy fellows
that overran the world once, and in the
Middle Ages showed such marvellous
powers.
1t is not 80 years since Italy became
nation, and already it feels con-
strained in its narrow limits. 1t is
virile stock, like the English. The pop
u!ation, no longer kept under by starva-
ton, pestilence, misgovernment, little
wars and the vendetta. multiplies fast
Early marriages and high regard for
marital virtue cause rapid increase in
population, as they did in Ireland before
the famine. The peasants have large
families. They are grandfathers and
grandmothers at 40. And wherever
they go. they retain these qualities.
Where an unprolific and a prolific
people dwell side by side there can be
but one result.
The Mediterranean was "a French
lake" in Napoleop's day. French firms
still own superior transportation lines,
because France has abundant capital:
but the men who man the ships are
usually Italians, the Genoese traffic is
growing rapidly and Italian residents
are numerous in all the regions on the
Mediterranean shore.
French colonies are an absurdity. a
rich race which has ceased to multiply
has plenty of room at home if the soil
be fertile and the climate good. And
there is no fairer land than France.
Italian emigration is an insistent
necessity urged by overpopulation
The government understands this. Its
disastrous attempts to conquer prov
inces in Africa have been due to de-
sire to retain control of the people who
must leave home.
The Erythrean colonies have turned
out as i'll as the American emigrants
have done well. This is not the first
case to prove that free emigration is
better specific than forced colonization
Italian emigrants go to South Amer
lea. get land for nothing and prosper;
Italian soldiers and colonists try TO take
land in Africa from the rightful owners
and make botch of the job.
But the Italians cannot all stay at