Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-13

SzE&# the process of leaving behind
the dross of Old World ways, 1t
may become part and parcel OF
body polite, devoted to
American traditions espousing
our ideals, and filled with
own best aspirations
On the other hand. itself into colonies
which come into contact only with element
or our native population, removed from the better
huences of national life never learning our Ian
guage never adopting customs, never sensing our
ideals and never catching the spirit our civilization
1t might become permanent of danger to our
political well-being and the very life OF
the nation The character immigration mas
changed Formerly it northwestern Europe.
and readily fused itself into DUR national life; today
it comes largely from southern and eastern Europe
and it holds itself aoOf preferrng COLOMBO rather
than to be assimilated.
How to overcome this tendency toward permanent
separation is the great problem of American immgra-
ton 1t is largely this phase of the question which
occupied the attention United States Inmgra-
ton commission during its four Investigation
1t will probably constitute the subject Of important
legislation during the Wilson administration
Only sixty of the inetythree millions Of our popu-
lation boast of native parentage remainder
are foreigners, the children of Foreigners
migrant army is received at the rate of a million
year. and assuming, congress has assumed. that
requires i've years to convert foreigner into
American, there being sixty million native Americans
it follows that every twelve natives
foreigner into American. 1t is easy for twelve
nuence foreigner if they can get at him, but
when he lives in colony aoof from them. it becomes
difficult task
And under sucn conditions Americanizaton is not
taking place rapidly hoped. the inn
migrant from southern and eastern Europe is con-
cerned Uncle Sam long ago said that the alien might
become citizen in five years, and the immigrant from
northwestern Europe usually after his citizenship
papers soon the time limit has expired. But not
with the Immigrant from southern and eastern
he liyatfo
laws To begin with, he does not to, America to
stay. He wants to make money and then go back
home to live in comparative afhuehce, And twoafths
of those who come do back home They barely
exist while here and when they return home they have
money enough make them Morgans and Rockefellers
in their native villages But of those who stay,
prsingly large number nothing for citizenship.
Statistics show that fully third Of those who have
been here the necessary hve years fail to take out ct
zenship papers
But, although the immigrant constitutes the great
American problem, he also great American asset
The inquiries Of the immigration commission show
what factor is and has been in in
dusrial life In the iron and steel Industries he and
children contribute seventenths Of labor. In the
slaughter1ng packing industry they give three
fourths Of the labor required They do seventy per
cent of the work in the bituminous coal mines and
nearly hreefhs Of that of the glass factories Seven
Fights labor wooden and worsted manufactur
ing is contributed by immigrant and his children.
and they produce nearly fourhfths Of silk goods.
nearly nfne-tenths of the cotton goods and nearly
nineteen tweneths of the mems and womens clothing
of the country They make than half of Amer
cas shoes nearly four-hfths of its furniture Half Of
the labor in making collars and shirts Is
tributed by them, hve-sxths of the work In the
industry is placed TO their credit They make
half gloves, rene nearly nine-tsnths Of our OIL
and nearly of Also they
manufacture nearly half Of tobacco and cigars.
. =
There is room for considerable speculation as to
what the effect of the between the Balkan states
and Turkey will be the immigration of the imrne-
future During the last decade we received nearly
half million immigrants from the countries anected
216OO0 coming from Greece alone. VIII the defamation
of the population through the present war and the ex-
panso the territory of the several countries through
the conquest Of allies result in shifting of the
tide Of inni grEtion southern Europe to this
field one may discover IN the immigration figures for
the years following the conclusion of the several
European show the last half century a falling
off of immigration in general and Of that from affected
territory in particular
But changes in America have been even more inhu-
entail than fluctuations of economic and other
conditions upon the tide of immigration. We may
read story Of panics and war. Of hard
times and prosperous eras in the rise fall
of sunshine and the of clouded sky.
immigration figures tell the story of the bright
days Of peace and prosperity and the dark days
panic, war and industrial depression.
1t was not until after 1910 that our immigration
gave even hint of assuming its present proportions
In that year still below the hundred thousand
mark. by 1850, beckoned hither by the great
pahsion Of the opening middle west its numbers
swelled $4,000 in a single year. Then the
panic Of depression before and after
that figures fall from $4,000 in 1854 to $4,000
in 1859 1t began to in 1861 but in the two
years that followed it fell to point low that of
the early forties Then it began TO recover again
and by end of the reached quarter of a mil
lion annually. By 1872 it passed the 100000
again times of the middle seventies forced
the figures down from $4,000 in 1873 to $4,000 in
1878 By 1880 the stream had reached its high mark
again. and then record in 1882 with $4,000
Then off to $4,000 in 1885, rising again to 62S
600 in 1892, falling to 100000 in 1898
Then rose again by leaps bounds until it touched
the mion-nlark 1905. The panic of 1907 forced
it down million. but in 1910 1t recovered onehaf
of this In 1911 1T slipped back another quarter
Of million, standing then at $4,000
The dove of peace doesn't get much chance to
light in Europe.