Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1911-04-06
THE LAND Of PROMISE
Prof. Jane MulIenbaCh Gives
Lecture at College
AN EXCELLENT A D D R ESS
The Conditions Which the Immigrant Finds
In America, The Land of Promise"

Anna college began dts spring term
with chapel exercises in which the
opening address was given by Prof.
Jane Mullenbach, instructor in charge
of German and French America,
the Promised Land" was the title of
the address, and the conditions which
the immigrant found on coming to this
country, was the theme of the lee
ture 1t was a very clear and illum-
mating exposition of the state of
things which the man who comes to
this country must face.
In introducing her subject, Miss
Mullenbach said that she assumed
that all were interested in the subject
OF immigration because we are all inn
migrants, if not one or two genera
tions back, at least, several centuries.
The subject naturally divided itself
into four divisions, who comes, why
they come, what they are when they
come, and our opportunity as they
come.
In the first place, the people who
come. Up TO the year 1903 there were
in this country of foreign birth 1O,-
341 900 persons, and of foreign parent
age only, 15,6s7.OO or a total of over
26,0o0,000. Up to 1895 the emigration
had been from the countries OF North
ern Europe, including Germany, Ire
land. England. Norway and Sweden,
and from Canada. Germany early
took the lead and by 1850 6OO,O 900 Ger
mans had come 10 this country. But
since 1895 Italy, Austria, Hungary,
Russia and Poland have furnished the
greatest number Of aliens. 1t is with
these that we are most interested
since they are the principal elements
of our present immigration problem
Now, why do these immigrants
leave their native countries? To Italy
the danger of her emigration is
greater than the danger of her immi-
grafton is TO us. In one Italian town
there were, in 1900, 10000 persons; in
1901, 6,6s1, and in 1908 but 5000
America has the rest. Italy is actual
ly becoming depopulated. These peo-
pie leave their sunny homes for three
reasons over-taxation, oppression OF
landlords, and poverty. Compare
them to the Irish, who have come to
this country for the same reason.
Austro- o-Hungarians, peasant people,
occupying the poorest parts of the
poorest soil, come here from coun-
try of strongly marked classes, gifted
with energy, strength and trustworthi-
ness The energetic are ambitious,
the strong, good, efficient workers,
the trustworthy, able to borrow
money. For the Pole, America is a
place Of refuge from oppression. In
1905 there were but $4,000 Poles in
this country, but in 1910, 12s,444 came
over, They are agrarians, but do not
become farmers upon settling in this
country, but go to the factory cities.
The Bohemian furnishes labor for the
clothing sweatshops of Chicago and
the cigar shops of New York. Busi
ness expansion counts upon his COM
ing before he has thought of leaving
his native land, upon having his labor
at three or four dollars a week The
Slavs are good farmers, and many of
them settled in Minnesota, Wiscon-
sin, Nebraska and Texas, and have
made these among our greatest farm
ing states.
Now with the questions who and
why answered, there is the answer TO
the question "What" In 1908, 900
unemployed Bulgarians marched to
the city hall in Chicago, asking for
work. A young Bulgarian, a graduate
of the University Of Chicago, and
star tackle on varsity football team,
examined one hundred Of these men
picked promiscuously, and found the
facts Seventy-four per
cent were farmers, seventeen per cent
tradesmen, and only nine per cent
unskilled laborers. Also seventy-hve
per cent were under thrty-hve years
of age. Why do these men not farm
here? There are four reasons. First,
land is no longer easily secured; sec
ond, our farming methods are too ex-
tensive for men accustomed to farm
not more than five acres; third, the
loneliness on our big farms of people
accustomed to return each evening to
social centers is unbearable, men and
women actually losing their minds
from lonesomeness. The character
istics Of these people are youth,
strength, courage and industry, and
furthermore they are guided by some
controlling spirit, either to send
money to their native land or to make
a new home in this country.
Ind now the conditions which they
find in this country. The first settlers
came TO, found democracy, which, as
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