The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-14
BY THOMAS G. CLAYTON.

BY THOMA!
The ranks of Americas real new
woman are gaining recruits at a live
ly rate. Two hundred and ten thou
sand and seventy-seven were added
| last year.
OF this number, Austria Hungary
furnished 5O.257; Italy sent the next
highest, 40 6S5; Russia was third, with
1886, and Germany's quota was 49,
S66
Sufficient women to make fifteen
regiments of 1000 members each ar
rived from Ireland, whence came the
! largest percentage of women. the total
| numbers of immigrants from the
''auld sod being 1892, or 2,O9S more
women than men, the only instance
where the men were fewer. On the
other hand, Greece sent the smallest
relative percentage-40S out Of more
than 1000.
From elsewhere the countrys real
new woman came in numbers as fol-
lows:
Belgium, 1888: Denmark, 1920;
England, 9,39S; France, 1856; Meth
erlands, 1,761; Norway, 6,137; Portu-
gal, All; Roumania, 1926; Servia, "A;
| Spain, 275; Sweden, 1886; Switzerland,
| 1873; Turkey in Europe, 112; Turkey
in Asia, 1906 Scotland, 1928; Wales,
! 526; West Indies, 1885.
/ While the great majority of these
women came with broods of children,
in number all the way from two or
! fourteen and with all the Old World
traditions clinging tenaciously to them,
yet they also arrived at Ellis Island
with some brand new ideas, of the New
World sort, in their heads.
Letters home are responsible for
the new notions" said the chief of the
staff of the thirteen matrons who take
charge of the women while they are
on the island.
These letters, from friends who
have preceded the women here by a
year or two, are curious commingling
of European and American thought,
btu they are clear enough concerning
the new mode of life to cause the re-
cipients to be influenced by them in
their coming. The men generally give
one reason for their immigrating-
work; but the women have a variety
of answers, although work is not in
frequently the reply of the Italian
woman.
Still, even she has her own New
World idea, which she secretly nour-
ishes.
"A girl who had lived in Naples was
held for deportation. She was exceed
ingly downcast, and I went over to her
and tried to cheer her. But she would
not be consoled, and between her sobs
kept repeating again and again:
'Oh-oh-oh-and 1 can't ever be my
own boss-no-never!"
1T turned out that a friend had
written her that the American women
have equal freedom with the men, and
that they carry a latch key as well, or
something to that effect. So the girl
started over, but as she had no rela-
tives here, and no one who was re-
sponsible offered to take care of her,
If she was permitted to land, she was
returned.
Here was an unusual New World
idea; but one that is general among
the women is the American idea of
educating the children. 1 firmly be-
lieve that the women immigrants are
largely responsible for the great num-
Der of foreign children in the schools
of New York and other cities with a
larger foreign population.
ASK the men if they have any am
bition for their children in the new
land, and likely as not they'll say,
'Yes-work.' Put the same question
to the women. and usually the answer
will be along these lines:
had a sister come over two years
ago. She wrote back much, saying
how Tony was a bright boy, because
he was going to school. She said he
did not have to work hard all day to
help make a living. She said my chill
dren would be as bright as Tony, too,
if would bring them over, and they
wouldn't have to start to work until
they We're old enough, either. So l am
here!"
mother has the American idea of be-
ing deeply concerned in the future
welfare of her offspring. Stories of
Immigrant boys and girls who have
made their way in the New World have
somehow reached even to remote cor
ners of Europe: hence the ambition
that not a few of the mothers hold
for their children-'my boy, OH he
will be a big man some day after he
has left school: and my daughter-oh.
she win marry a Big man some day
and have a lot to say
so, you see. the American idea Of
woman's independence is not alto
gether unknown among Europe's
peasantry
"Of course. I am not saying that
every woman who arrives here has an
American idea in her head Thou
sands haven't--but they do before they
get off the island. and the various
ways in which the different nationali-
ties take their first lessons in Amer
icanism are interesting.
The women always land CARRYING
the baggage and with their children
Juggling at their skirts. The men are