The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-12-16

Washington, Dec 16.-That the
physlcal form as well as the habits
oS living and ways of thinking of the
descendants OF foreigners who immi
crate To America is different from
that of their ancestors. is the cohclus-
lon of the immigration commission as
embodied in the preliminary report
of that body which was presented TO
congress today.
The Investigation was undertaken
soon after the appointment of the
commission and it was conducted in q
scientific manner Professor Frank
Poas, of Columbis university, was en-
gagged as expert The inquiry was
confined to New York City and So far
as the present report shows was re-
stricted to Sicillans and east Euro
pean Hebrews. A later report Will
give the details of the investigation
among Bohemians, Hungarians and
Scotch.
The report indicates that the des-
cendant of the European Immigrant
changes his type, even In the first
generation. almost entirely Children
horn even few years after tho ar
rival OF the immigrant parents in AM
erica develop in such way that they
differ in type, essentially, from their
foreign-born parents. These differ
ences seem 10 develop during the earl
fest childhood and persist throughout
life. Every part OF the body is in
fIuenced in this way and even the
form OF the head, which has always
been considered as one of the most
permanent hereditary features, under
goes considerable change.
In an official synopsis OF the COM
missions report. attention is called
TO the fact that even most stable rae
ial characteristics seem TO have
changed under the new environment
and this fact Is commented upon as
follows:
This would indicate the concluS-
ion that racial, physical Characters
tics do not survive under the new so
cial and climatic environment of AM
erica The adaptability of the various
races coming together on our shores
seems, if these indications shall bo
fully borne out In later study, TO be
much greater than had been anticipat-
ed. If the American environment can
bring about an assimilation of the
head forms In the first generation
may il not be that other charactcris-
tics may be as easily modified. and
that there may be a rapid as5imila-
ton of widely varying nationalities
and races to something that may we'll
be called an American type?"
The commission feels that it is too
carly to pronounce absolutely upon
this question, and adds:
The investigation is by no means
complete and, moreover, considering
the Importance of the subject, it
should clearly he conducted on larg-
cr scale and Indifferent surroundings
in various parts of the country. and
perhaps also be checked UP by GER
tain investigation made upon the
same races elsewhere"
Among other results noted, II is
shown that the American-oorn chill
dren of the long-beaded Sicilians and
these of the round-headed east Euro
pean Hebrews have very nearly the
same intermediate head form. The
children of the long-headed Sicilians
are more round-headed than their
parents, the children of the round
headed Hebrew are more long g-head-
ed Similar changes arc traced in the
development of the faces of these
types
The amalgamation Is most rapid dur
ing the period Immediately following
the arrivals OF the immigrants The
difference in type between parents
and children manifests itself almost
Immediately after their arrival here,
Among individuals, born a long time
after The arrival of the parents In Am
erica, the difference is increased, but
only slightly as compared TO the great
difference that develops at once.
Up TO this time the Investigations
have not been carried SO far as 10
determine what happens in the second
generation of immigrants, but ii seems
likely that the Influences at work
among the first generation born In
America will be still further accentu-
ated
The commission has also made the
discovery that aS rule there Is a
falling off In the size Of families after
their arrival in the United States and
coincident with this discovery has
come the more important revelation
that as the number Of children de-
creases. the size of the individual In
creases. This fact is discoyerable
among the children of the well-to-do
as well as those of the poor.
Another result of the investigation
Is the development OF that fact that
while removal from Europe TO New
Eork has had beneficial effect upon
fhe physique Of Eastern European He
brews. the result has been just the
opposite on the Sicilians, the conclus
ion being that. bad as they are. the
Surroundings In New York are better
Tor the Jews than in their city homes
n the Old World. while the cramped
quarters. which the Sicilians occupy in
New York City, are not so desirable
as their rural surroundings in South
srD Italy