The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-21
THE FOREIGNERS CARE
OF HIS COUNT RYMAN.
Nationality Societies Look After the Welfare of the
Immigrants of Its Own Race

From whatever part Of the world a
poor man may come he is practically
sure of obtaining advice and assistance
from his countrymen the moment he
lands in New York or any other big
American port.
The immigrants who have come here
and made good" do not leave their
countrymen who follow after them to
be succored by charitable Americans.
Whatever their nationality may be
they support societies of their own
whose objects are to look out for the
immigrants as they arrive, rescue them
from the grafters and crooks who
hang around the immigration offices.
help them to seek out their relatives
or to find employment, relieve them
when they are sick and destitute, and
generally look after them until they
have learned the ways of the country
and become able to shift for them
selves.
The Franchise Renaissance.
If the immigrant is a poor French
man, the Societe Franchise de Bien-
faisance takes hold of him. This So
ciety runs a bureau of immigration
which, directs French immigrants up
on a'@tlbl and returns to France those
remain lg a charge upon the society.
There is a similar Belgian organiza-
Iion-the Societe Beige de Renaissance
Needy Spaniards are assisted by the
Sociedad Espanola de Beneficencia;
poor Germans by the Deutsche Gesell-
schaft, the Deutsche Frauen Verein
and other societies. while the neces-
sites of Hungarian immigrants are re-
lieved by the Magyar Tarsulat Hun
garian Association) The St Andrews
St. DaVid's and St Georges Societies
look after distressed Scotsmen, Welsh
men and Englishmen, respectively, the
f1rst-named society founded in 1855, be-
ing the oldest of its kind in the United
States. The Swiss Benev client Society
is the only immigrant helping institu-
ton in the United States which is Off
cially supported by its native govern
ment Besides voluntary contribu-
tions from the charitably inclined, it
receives large dona lions from the
Swiss Confedera ton.
In addition to the societies already
mentioned. there are others maintain
ed for Austrians, Russians, Rouma-
mans, Galicians. Canadians. Norwe-
gians, Danes, Swedes, Irishmen, Ger
man Catholics, German Lutherans,
Cubans Japanese, Chinese and even
Syrians and Armenians. All these So
cieties are essentially national in their
character, and are conducted and sup
ported by men who were immigrants
themselves not so long ago.
To Make Good Americans.
The idea underlying the working of
most of the societies is to make good
Americans out of the immigrants of
their own race. They usually announce
this object without the slightest hesi.a-
ton, and do not lose support among
the people of their nationality by so do
ing.
The Armenian Union of America, for
example, exists to unite the Armenians
scattered throughout the United States
and to incucate principles of patriot
ism and loyalty to their adopted coun-
Try. besides providing for the sick and
needy. The Syrian Society provides
educational and industrial institutions
for all Syrian and Arabc-speak king i'm
migrants, teaches them English and
prepares their children to enter the
public schools. The st, Raphaels Ital-
ian Benevolent Society. over which
Archbishop Farley presides. exhorts
Italian immigrants ito love and honor
this hospitable land by faithful and
honest work and to respect its laws"
The Baron de Hirsch Fund.
The Baron de Hirsch Fund. which
III.
manian and Galician Hebrew immi-
grants. aims, according to its own
declaration, TO Americanize and as
simulate the immigrants with the
masses by teaching them to become
good citizens. and to prevent by all
proper means their congregatng in
large cities" The elementary lessons
in English given in its day and night
schools explain the constitution of the
TTnffad
and loyalty to the Stars and Stripes
The tremendous immigration of Ital-
tans into America in recent years
especially through the port of New
York, has placed an exceptionally
heavy burden upon the italians and
Italian Americans already resident in
this country. They are bearing it no
bly,. Rich and poor alike contribute TO
the support of many societies which
look after the immigrants when they
land, supply their needs. find them
work and protect them from imposi-
ton Chief among these worthy or
CARNATIONS are the Society for the Pro-
lection OF Italian Immigrants and the
Italian Benevolent Institute, both of
which. unlike most other Italian socie-
ties. are national in their character and
the scope of their work Their efforts
for the benefit of the immigrants have
been gratefully acknowledged by the
italian government, and the Benevolent
Institute has received a personal gift
of 10000 lire $4,000 from the King Of
Italy. Unlike Russia and some other
countries. Italy takes a kindly interest
in the welfare of her sons who come to
America.
The Italian Immigrant.
Almost all of the Italian imrni-
grants are very ignorant, very child
like and wholly unfamiliar with the
ways. customs and language of this
country" said Eliot Norton, president
Of the Society for the Protection of
Italian Immigrants They need
friendly assistance from the moment
of debarcation. Those who go into
the interior of the country need 10
be helped in getting on the right train
without losing their way or money;