The sun., 1910-05-29
Il.

The centre of interest for the study a
Slavic immigration 10 Austria Hungary.
although only II OF ~ per cent. of all
Slavs are subjects of the Empsror Fran
cis Joseph. Whils over % per omit are
subjects of the CEAr. In addition 70 the
bewildsring variety q nAtionAlitiss tpOsi-
lively startling. a. shown on the accom-
panying mapsl. We mus rnmambar that
each town and village 10 conscious of
kind in such narruw linits that q man
from the next village is -forpiGner': but
when these people emigrats 20 The United
States political leaders take advantaes
Of the heightsncd raciAl feeling. the wider
sense Of solidarity and the frssdom ot the
new world 20 teach their people patriot
ism on broader hnes; and - a. with the
Irish. the SyriAns. the ArmsniAns and
other races. the United States has become
for the SlAVs the recruiting ground for
patriots: but the secondary. the widening
eject. AZ contrasted with this racial feel
ing. is more universal The ohildren Of
the immigrants are apt 10 be bored by
the national questions over which their
parents get - strangely Agitated. and
20 the Old national passions. though as
siduously cultivated by the first genera
tiUn. tend 20 die aWay. partly checked by
personal and material concerns and the
desire 20 get on. partly rpplaosd by nav
interest In questions of wider import. or
az least ol more immediate application.
While Il is true that each Slavic national
group. each Slavic territory must bs
studied separately 20 he understood. there
ars certain features which occur in eli.
One of the most important general facts
about our slavic immigrants 10 that apart
from the early Bohemian movement they
for the most part represent the peasant
class. This tern is widely misunderstood
In America. The peasant. instead of b.
ing as too often assumed q memtsr of
the lowest possible social class. is land
holder. more nearly comparable TO the
American farmer than 10 any other class
among lls. and Al home h far from being
AZ the bOttOm uf the social ladder. Below
tho full peasant are the half and the
quarter. peasant. With smaller indspen-
dent holdings. and below them come tho
cottiers then lAborers and other landless
classes. including the farm hands. The
cottiers. with only houss and q hit II
field from which he cannot live. ekss out
his resources With soms trade. such a.
shoemakinE. ssnithinG or weaving A
peasant may he not only prosperous but
very rich. and altogether hs is an entirely
different type from the workingman.
lacking the American workinErnan's
quicknsss and other qualities bred Of
competition. frequent change and the
ike. but possessed II conservatism. poe
-cssinE the solidity. shrswdness. the elf.
respect II the propertied man. imb,led
with respect 10 superOrs In America hs
lo--s he sen=e n social infenorty tand
his courtesy along With ~ and also the
standing which formerly gave him sslf-
respect Il hecomes q problem u I'd just
ment in more than the material senas.
and many arr the methods q solving i;.
Political unrest. lack q ready money
for taxes. % a small extent nowadays
'he desire 90 escape military service aud
hundreds q other motives are an deter
mining factors in the impulse u emigraes.
bit the chief motive 10 the wish n make
all the money possible IN the least posi-
bis time The iron constitutions. lack
~ nerves and willingness n put up With
lower wages and inferior surroundings
a. a temporary expedtent. sith q rvturu
90 the old home IN vieU. enable thess
SiavE n attain their ideal and also cause
dangerous lowcring u standards In al
pursuits which they follow here: but
eventually many settle here permanently
after much travelling back and forth
The women ars more apt 20 b. homesick
than tho men They do not like their
stoves In place n ovens. they misa the
variety = house and held labor and ths
sociahle village life The returned imml-
grant IL spoiled Tor hard labor q the old
sort. hut h. ia likely % BE- mors outsr-
prising ani ambitious than hls fellow W.