Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-11-07
Here IS an American Girl
Who Advises King Victor.
.sneclnl corrcsnnndoncs

Special Correspondence.
~ LQRENGl. Oct. 29,--Miss Amy A.
~ Bernardy. an American girl who
as special commissioner for King
Victor Emanuel OF. Italy, has Just
completed All Investigation of Italian
women and children in the North At
lantic division Of the United States, has
arrived in Florence. Miss Bcrnardy has
ffor years divided her time between
Italy and the United States, and her
writings on Italian affairs have attract.
ed wide attention in the latter country,
as wei as in this. She occupied the
chair Of Italian literature In Smiths
college and is undoubtedly one of the
best informed authorities on the Italian
singnant question. AT the present
time, she is enjoying a years leave of
absence from her duties al Smiths col
lego and has spent the time fulfilling
her mission for the King OF Italy.
Although impressng upon the writer
her inability to forecast her official re-
port, she nevertheless accorded your
correspondent a Very Interesting Intnr-
view on the general question OF Ital-
asked Miss Bernardy what In her opin-
ion was the greatest obstacle in the
way of Italian emigration. Her answer
was prompt and TO the point
A GREAT OBSTACLE.
Lack of understanding of the italian
by the Americans and new state of
affairs moral political and domestic,
for the Italian She said The Ameri-
can of today cannot rid himself of the
idea of the .dago' OF 20 years ago With
q hand organ and Il monkey, as a mem
Der of a picturesque race, dealing in
vendettas and stlllettos he interested
them. With pick and shovel in hand
he is a Disappointment. an altogether
in his zeal to do his duty by him. note
book In hand, approaches him. as q
clever woman once said to me- scien-
=titically, while the Immigrant has voy-
aged into his new land scntimentally.
He is alarmed at the statistics, and
flies for understanding to the already
arrived member of his own race. Now,
each nationality, YOU know. has filled
the role Of under dog in the incoming
of immigration. Today It Is the Italian
The IriShman once was Paddy but he
always gave back as good as he re-
ceived How is the Italian to do this
with no knowledge Of the language?
WHAT HE HEARS HERE.
Behind him. too, is history, a re-
ligion, as well as habits and customs,
foreign to the economic life OF
America. Take one instance, for exam
pie. When he comes over he hears OF
divorce and remarriage To him IN Italy
that has represented the grussest of
human sins and to hear that the new
land sanctions it upsets his whole code
nf 1y1nI4 h.N r,stt, hit
Italian mind. is legally and often reli
giously sanctioned, Why not do as YOU
please in all ways in this new land of
This is but one Instance of
how the new world startleS and affects
him. A delicate point, too. Is the ques-
ton OF the efficacy OF all the methods OF
the settlement workers and OF the mis-
sionaries. The former, perhaps, do not
always quite grasp the Italian's love of
being let alone, nor know his language,
nor the habits of his country, which
make carpctleSs floors and life in Il
tenement quite natural. They approach
him with an air of unconscious patrons
age and cause him to retreat for under
standing 10 his own race. An Italian In
Italy lives very simply he has his goat.
his dog. his cat for household compan-
ions. only there he has the sun and
air of Italy to justify 1t, for all live
more out doors than in Conditions
are condemned as filthy In America.
which are written about and exclaimed
over in Italy as 50 picturesque
SUGGESTS A REMEDY.
And what would you suggest as a
means of promoting a better under
standIng?"
Goodwill. sincere frlendilness. CO.
operation, she said but not statistic
ally" she added. with a smile. THE