Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-04-21
The Peasant People Of South
ern Italy.
HEADS OF CRIMINALS
BUT THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY
VICIOUS.
Their Undersize is Result Of Genera
tons Of Poor Food-Cause Of,
the Emigration.

NAPLES Italy, April y. lSo4.
This city il the great port OF departure
for italian emigration to the United States.
Nearly all those who 60 from here are
Italians There are, however. few Greeks
and Levantines who find their way across
the Atlantic via the steamship lines sailing
from this port. The movement to the
United States has increased with great
rapidity during the past few years. Three
years ago 10000 emigrants sailed from
Naples for America. Two years ago the
number Increased to about 10000, and last
year 1t reached the tremendous total OF
10000 The movement TO other countries
from Naples IL comparatively small, though
1900 people were carried from here to
South America.
The proportion going to the United States
is steadily increasing This Is due to eco
nomic difficulties which have arisen In Bra
I'll and scarcity of work In Argentine, as
well as to the belief, firmly implanted In
italian minds, that the United States Is the
country of the best wages and the greatest
personal freedom in the world.
The Naples emigrant IL usually a con-
tadino, or peasant He il not necessarily
a good farmer, however. for though he Is
competent at any work requiring continued
muscular effort he is not familiar with the
use Of horses or machinery.
Some Curious Types Of Men.
Representatives Of the American medical
service have been stationed at Naples for
several years past. and an opportunity has
thus been afforded to observe the physical
character Of the people going from this
port AS a rule, they are slightly under
sized, but not deficient physically at any
point Among them, however, have been
found some Of the most curious types OF
til 1rn fn mt Il
is among the people of southern Italy that
Lombroso found his illustrations to prove
his theories. Among them are found the
Mongolian and negroid types, people with
the most remarkably shaped skulls; and
emigrants have presented themselves for
transportation who were covered with tat
tooings of most barbaric character. This
tattooing Is more or less religious, and on
the bodies of these people are recorded the
events of pilgrimages made to religious
shrines.
These peculiar types are not considered
as evidences Of degeneracy, such as Lom-
broso found in western Europe. Degen-
eracy, implying a relapse from higher
condition. would be impossible with the
southern Italian. who with his ancestors,
has always lived under conditions similar
to those in which he is now found. They
are looked upon as evidences of primitive
ness and lack of development from the
original and almost prehistoric man.
Some Of these people have heads of the
most vicious class of criminals. but are not
necessarily such. Observation of these per-
sons and inquiry into their surroundings
and ancestry have proved that the primitive
qualities expressed in their physique do not
imply criminahty. but that they do con-
duce to low mental average and probably
to a proneness to disease. 1t Is among
these people that the vendetta has the
strongest hold. Revenge Is ruling pas
sion with primitive man. and while there
is no positive evidence upon which these
people might be excluded from any coun-
try under immigration restrictions. they are
not considered as desirable element to
add to the population of new country.
About 5000 vessels sailed from the port
of Naples last year. OF these 242 went
to the United States and thus came under
the inspection regulations necessary to Sc
cure clean bill of health. Incoming yes
sels brought about 100000 worth OF
American goods. and outgoing vessels car
ried over 100000 worth of Italian goods
to the United States.
Here as at other italian ports the Inn
ports consist largely of Kerosene oil and
grain and the exports were the native
products of Italian soil and manufacture.
The American trade in southern Italy Is
growing, but IL not ae large as it should
be, nor does 1t carry the percentage OF
manufactured articles on which the great
est profits accrue to the American pro-
Queer. This is due to the low purchasing
power of the people of southern italy,
condition which can only be remedied by
radical changes.
Taxes are high and duties between mu-
inequalities are onerous. Local admtnistra-
ton is often dishonest and many other
causes. contribute to lack of prosperity.
The people of this section OF the peninsu-
la are lamentably illiterate though sta
tistics would indicate decided gain in
education. In 1867. 80 per cent OF the
people could not read or write. In twenty
years this percentage had been reduced
to ST. but the spread of education has
been largely confined to the cities, hence
the rural districts have practically made
no progress.
Criminals Cannot Leave Naples.
The Italian government is working to
the advantage of the United States in
emigration matters. 1t is difhcult for any
criminal to leave Naples, owing to the
surveillance Of the italian police. There
are few paupers or beggars among those
who leave the country Early in the sum-
mer most of the emigrants are men. The
women leave in the fall to join their hus-
bands at the conclusion of what Is prob
ably successful summers work In the
United States. enabling the men to send
passage money to Italy.
The undersiZe of the southern Italians
Is due to generations OF poor food. Itai-
ian authorities say that for two centuries
the contadino has lived on half rations.
One peculiar characteristic Of the Italian
peasant Is the prevalence of black teeth.
This Is due to the volcanic chemicals In
the drinking water. 1t gives the people a
peculiarly unpleasant appearance, but Is
not regarded as detrimental to their
health.
Nearly all of the men who go to the
United States have seen military service,
for all are subject to the same, with the
exception of only sons. frst-born sons of
widowed mothers and sons of fathers
over sixty when there Is a child in the
mothers arms Few of them go to the
United States with the idea of remaining,
and the opportunity to secure land in the
western states does not seem to appeal
to them in the first instance. Their idea
is to work in country where money is