Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-07-12
ADAM 4. WESCHLER. AUCTI0NEER.
ITALY WANTS ITALIANS.
Government Will Try to Keep In
dustrial Army at Home.

L rom the Pnlla0elpnla Logger.
The italian laborer at last finds that
she, too is somewhat" Italy wants and
needs the Industrial and agricultural ar
mics which have been coming to the
United States and are now fitting back
again. It Is the desire and purpose Of
the italian government to keep its sons
IL way can be found. The Italian la
borer as an individual never excited
much emotion In the breasts of Italian
statesmen until a few years ago. when
the important truth dawned upon the
nation that several millions Of workers
are a mighty factor in a nations health
and strength If the nation needs them
and has them not.
In the United States also the return Of
the natives to their sunny soil. though
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. may applaud.
does not excite very hearty enthusiasm
In all quarters. Their departure means
rooms and houses with the Ito let sign
on them; sharp curtailment in several
branches of business. and in fact no
great Joy for anybody except perhaps the
steamship agents. whose pront Is tenn
porary and illusory.
The Italian government hopes to keep
the workers at home The means to be
used has not been disclosed. Miss Amy
Bernardy. teacher of Italian language
and literature in Smith College, Mass. Is
the special agent of the Italian govern
ment for the study of conditions here
A hint of the argument to be used Is
given In her declaration that the govern
ment must convince them that ''they are
we'll off at home:" that the difference Of
wages in America and Italy is illusory.
because the expenses Of living are higher
here than at home; that II they are
thrown out of work here they are in peril,
somehow; that problems of heating. light
Ing and tenement congestion are I'M
known on the Italian hillsides.
Whole areas in Italy are stagnant be-
cause of the emigration to America. and
the effect upon Italy Is widespread and
deeply serious; but it is to be questioned
whether Italians will be affected by the
mere arguments that the Italian govern
ment may make. The first flush of real
reviving, throbbing industry In this coun-
try will turn the tide. and the Italians
will respond to the call of fortune when
she beckonS.
The most interesting fact discovered by
Miss Bernardy in her Investigations is
preaching hard times in the United
States long before there was the slight
est hint of it in. Wall street. The in
dustrial army began to move last Sep
TENDER The approaching clouds were dis
cussed by the most ignorant Italian la
borers long before the business or finan-
cial world and before the economic sages
and seers deserted the slightest fecks on
the cerulean blue. How did they know
it? Miss Bernardy says the intelligence
passed from mouth to mouth with in
credible swiftness. just as news travelled
mysterously in the middle ages. or as 1t
passes with wonderful CELEBRITY in China,
or as 1t formerly flew in the Indian coun-
try in the United States. 1t all sounds
very weird and uncanny. but We suspect
that the Italian laborers. who have a
very close affiliation with the railroad
right of way, found out without any sort
of mystery that when the railroads stop
ped payments for repairs and new track
age the foremen stopped paying them
money on payday. The railroads found
It difficult to raise money for this work
before the pinch came, but not even the
railroads suspected that 1t would be SO
severe.