New-York tribune., 1907-12-02
STUDYING THE SLAVS.
Mss Emily @. Balch's Visits to Set
Elements Here and 4broad.

- rhs surface Of things she has been able 10
90 q thorough investigation of one subject and
most important subject too. In the course of
p socioloElcal studies she became especially in
tH-aeted in the Slavs, who emigrating TO this
on7+rv In such vast numbers. She took a two
sars' leave OF absence from Wellesley. and went
tea.sr,aTicaIlv TO work TO learn an thar thera is
- learn about the .Slav. She went to Bohemia
tIungarv Croatia, visited the communal farms of
fbe peasants. studied the conditions which sur
round the Slavic peoples in the Austrian Empire
end dug out the reasons which cause them to emf
r-ste Returning TO this contry she made a care
mi survey Of the Slavic here: went TO
parma Marya, the Oldest settlement OF Poles in
revss. went into the homes OF the Slavic miners
N the coal regions OF Pennsylvania: talked with
Bohemians, Poles Croatians, Ruthenians, every
slavic variety. the farms and in the towns
NJ many Western states; and studied the Slavic
girls in the factories Of the East The result OF
her Investigations she gives iri a of articles
n "Charities and the Commons
a FEW DRUDGEs
Strange and pathetic are the stories OF some Of
fhe early Slavic immigrants. who were not all un-
-lltuTed by any means. One woman with whom
Miss Balch talked in Ohio was deIicately reared.
as girl, in the old country. but poverty obliged
her 90 out TO service after the family came
10 this country. Hard work killed the father in
2 wear, but the girl. having youth. endured. she
rocked carried water, fed 1he cattle went bare
footed ana poorly clothed Finally she married
farmer. She insisted that their children have a
-olege education One to Europe. and
there he met the children OF his mothers brother,
who had remained behind when the family emil
grated, and who. by some chance Of missent let
tars had been lost OF their lives. OF the Soy
rral cousins there, 2 professor in the
University Of Vienna. teaching Greek in
Z seminary and one was the owner Of a large fac
in-y. And though the American branch had pros
pered IN way the mother told Miss Balch that
she most unwilling have their European
relatives visit them in their American surround
ngs she cannot says Miss Balch, forget what
she feels 70 be the degradation Of her barefoot.
hard working childhood But Of those
gently bred immigrants had sturdie- feeling. To
who had settled in Texas a friend who came
from the old country for visit said. Why. Val
sntine- al home your pigs housed better than
YOU are here That is true said the other. but
would rather live here in this log house than in
palace under the Austrian government
PEASANTS N DRovEs
OF course the great Of the immigrants are
CagO schools cold Miss Ralci that they noticed
wide difference between the Polish children whose
parents were people Of intelligence. ''self-exiled
5or the sake Of Ideals and those horn OF the
Polish man Of the hoe. the product says Miss
dom in Europe It is easier for these in America
but Il Is not always particularly easy for them.
Ike olileT working people, says Miss Balch.
they nave 10 meet the problems Of inadequate
pay. rising prices and above all Of growing needs.
a RutaeIllan priest said TO ne, The iaborer can
iot a1Ioro TO be an American i costs too much
4 man must earn at least TWO dollars a day be
American Again. he said. Ny people
suffering for lack OF vision
Miss Balch found the Slavs in the Colorado
mining camps greatly overcrowded IN their homes
because OF their custom Of taking II boarders The
Slavic wife Is an important factor in the family;
she can add much TO the income by boarding
some of the unmarried men She must be
n1othery creature, for Miss Balch relates that one
Of her Offices boarding house keeper is 20 go
IN when the boarder takes his daily bath-H-hicn
the miners occupation makes necssse-y-and
% scrub the CRIME of his shoulders where he
not get at it
ALWAYS BEARING CHILDREN.
Hard indeed. seems the lot Of these women TO
ing Slavic proverh. and Is Of most OF
fhe vgouler Miss F3alch relates how Settlement
worker had gone TO call on a woman. somewhere
IN the mining regions Of Pennsylvania. woman
who rad borne child al midnight. 2nd found
Cf-l ~ he
tn the wet yard: hanging out clothzs- She had
n1er and did the washing
But even IL woman can do this sort OF thing
Saws Miss Palch ''it ages ner-that snd the con-
tinuous child bearing Large families their
ideal however. Miss Ralch quotes the answer a
Slovenian rrteSt gave 10 her ones'son, t4t 20
YOU reopie think Of Auericaus?" Our women
5eznise American women because they have small
Ia. aescsr~ thennse,,es must ool with regret on
Tho difference between the PolisR and American
faries regards size Old Harley Conn.
Is going Tvvo--.1irls OF the births last year in
thfs old American town were Polish The beau
tful old Colonial mansions there are oceunied
ss tener1ents by the poes-With swarms OF chill
dren nf course. The American stock fhere seems
ove-taken bv sort Of racial dry rot. Miss Baich
says: but the Slavic families increase at gal
iopins rate
AMERICAS IMPRESS.
Bur surely II slowly America puts fits impress
oal the peoples who here to live In time
the Slavic women become more like American
more resrect for women IN this country over IL
Croatia the wives their husbands that IN
America things will be different for women nave
more power there.'' One ANXIOUS man. q pros
rective immigrant. heard much of this that he
got frightened rs IL true. he asked Miss Balch
'shat ir America when there is lawsuit the
woman goes 10 court and atterds 10 Il aho 'ii-
husband stays at home2"
In the closing article of the series. in the cur
rent number Of Charities and the Commons
Miss Ralch talks about assimilation II lis a pam
ful process for the adult immigrant that OF pc
coming fixed IN his adopted country, 1or as d
rule he never becomes with IT, and MS chlI-
sren do and consequently there is an ever widen
ing gulf between him and his children Miss Balch
tells some characteristic stories OF the UNWILLING
hess of the immigrants child 10 learn his parents
language My father wanted me 10 learn Ger
mar one yfrl the daughter Of cultivated Ger
mans told Miss Balch II hated TO have anytning
10 do with il People in the West call thing
Dutch term Of scorn IL was hoI M ! 80 w.
in college that I realized what German lieratUIe
philosophy meant in the world. and that 10 DE
German was a thing to be ashamed OF
Uneducated parents, those using language
less important than German. have a still more
difficult task TO hold the next generation / am
no Hun. I am an American. is often IN the mouths
of the young ones
Tyfusine TO reply to their mother If spoken 70 IN
ser native language, says MISS baIcI. IN
Sldren, who have TO act as intei eiple1ein Dr. -. ~ "
- business for their parents. are thrown into Il
position of unnatural Importance. ana feel Only
Contempt for the Old World ways Of their parents
feeling enhanced by the too common american
Contempt
The Glavs are orphans in America. one OF
their wisest men said to Miss Balch Many tilneS ~
are tending fuse the various peoples OF amer
into one-clllbg settlements, movements IN "hcH
citizens of all classes join to WORK Tor some t.
1orr-but Il is the younger men aho "oiiie.
mainly whom these influences touch 10 some on
me intelligent immigrants becolil'hs an
american does not appear specially desifaDl"-
There is q touch of bitterness in what n Croa-
tan write Ar,Ss Ratch II has been found