Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-12-17

come Meanwhile the coun-
tries which gave us our rich
influx home builders prior to 1883 are not send
ing many immigrants today
The old immigration differed from the IN
many essentials The former was largely migra-
ton of people who came to become citizens.
quire homes here and to establish their pOsterity
the land They practically every line OF
activity in every part of the country. A large
portion Of them were engaged in agriculture before
they came and they out farm 1aborers when
they got here But they frugal and the laborer
Of yesterday became the farmer Of today. They
formed very important factor IN the developments
OF all the territory west Of the Allegheny noun
tains. So rapid the process of assimilation that
the racial identity Of their children almost lost
and forgotten.
The extent OF the decline Of immigration from
northern Europe is emphasized by the results in
rious countries. Germany gave eight ftines
many immigrants in 1888 in 1911. Ireland gave
$4,000 of her people in 1883 only $4,000 in
1911. Swedens contribution to immigrant pop
ulation fell from $4,000 1888 10000 1911,
Ewitzerlands from 10000 to $500.
AS stated before the people who come from north
western Europe to stay Among only six
of every hundred go back to their homes in
Europe while thirty-eight out Of every
southern and eastern Europe return The "oId" i'm
migration comes with its families for than two
ffths are femalesA The new" immigration leaves
one-fourth of the arrivals females
The better condition of the immigrant from north
western Europe compared with his unfortu-
nate brother in other parts OF the continent is
vealed by the money they were able to show The
average old" immigrant exhibit forty dollars to
the immigration inspector. The average new" irnmi
grant has about sixteen dollars when he lands The
educational advantages of the 'old" immigrant are
even more marked. There more than thirteen
many illiterates coming to from the new" immi-
grafton from the old" The "old" immigration
to all the usual tests Of good citizenship
in about the RATIO when compared with the
new" And yet all authorities agree that in the
new" immigrant have, rule, a diamond in
the rough. human being who Is just capable Of
transformation into good citizen as his more fortu-
brother from northwestern Europe. The process
is simply longer and tedious and to
which the immigrant does not lend himself readily
Northwestern Europe has responded faithfully to
out demand for people to I'LL lands and become
part of the bone snew country. L
mnety-two years given nearly seventeen million
immigrants Draw line through Grand Forks, Sioux
CITY, Omaha, Kansas City and Hot Springs and thence
down the Louisiana-Texas boundary to the gulf OF
Mexico and the entire population west thereof is
greater than that contributed to by northwestern
Europe
Germany has given more immigrants than any
country with the single exception Of the
Kingdom. Nearly five million Germans have come
across the water to become Of this nation.
The pioneers of the great German migration the
Mennontes, who in 1882 followed the path of the
English Quakers. They the first people in
America to petition the aboliti Of slavery. They
the first people in America to raise their
voice against intemperance They followed
by the Scandinavans, Of whom it has been said that
there second generation, since the children be-
thoroughly Americans.
The coming of the new" immigration has
the members of the "old" to out of their
tions and residential quarters and into higher
snne he
Scandinavian worked and lived, the Greek. the
italian. the Pole the Bohemian, the Austrian and the
Russian Jew are found. The German, the Irishman.
the Swede and the Norwegian have moved into bet
quarters and have taken up more attractive work
The immigrant from northwestern Europe quick
" becomes a citizen More than nine-tenths of this
Swedes and the Swiss entitled to citizenship papers
have them approximately seven-eighths of the Ger
mans Welsh, Danes and Norwegians have taken them
out and four-fifhs the Irish, English Dutch and
scotch have cast their lot permanently with Com
pare this with the allies in the Balkan-Turkish
and remarkable difference in the character of the
aspirations of the two types of immigration will ap-
pear. Only one-eighth of the Servian immigrants
have taken out citizenship papers one-ffth of the
Creeks and little than third Of the Bulga-
rians seventenhs Of the southern italians hold aoof
citizenship.
When will our affairs that situation where
there is an economic balance and end to mmi
grafton to the United States. The late Prof. W. j.
MCGEE once declared that the soil of the United
c+ates has a sustaining power 500 to the square
mile Assuming that one-third of our territory IS
waste land still, this basis, would have
room for round billion of people. DR.. MCGEE esti
mated that in centuries reasonably hope
70 approach that number. But to reach that high
population we would have to make heavier drafts
upon Europe than Europe could bear Assuming tnat
we would need proportionately many immigrants
to expand present population to the billion
mark as we needed reach present population
we would have draw draft upon Europe for 3OO
OOO0 600 souls-a million every for three cen
turtles And when consider that in two genera
lions the foreigner-both of the old immigration and
of the new-becomes so thoroughly Americanized that
he follows the tendency Of the native American to-
ward race suicide will be that the small fam
iIv inclinations Americans will prevent heavy
contributions to the swelling population "a bill
lion in three centuries would call for
Many economists think the immigration from
northwestern Europe has settled down basis that
is about normal, and that we henceforth may count
upon receiving about quarter Of million of them
during the average year. But there are others who
say that disappearance of cheap farming land