Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-02-21

ton issues monthly and annual reports
and bulletins giving the number OF Am
erican emigrants and passengers to Eu-
rope What about these people and mis-
sions in their behalf on both sides the
sea, at ports Of departure and arrival?
If we imagine that Americans abroad
are so thoroughly evangelical as to be
in no need Of missionaries. we blunder.
II we suppose their number Is too in
significantly small to need attention, we
likewise blunder. In accordance with
the provisions Of section IL Of the i'm
migration act Of February 20, 1907, for
ascertaining definitely the number Of
alien departures. and accordingly the
net increase to our population by immi-
grafton, the report for 1908 furnishes
the first data on this subject. The new
statistical table shows that in addition
to 7S2,S7O immigrant aliens admitted to
this country. we received l41.S25 classed
as non-immigrants. making a total Of
924,6s5; and also that ss5,O73 emigrant
aliens departed from the United States,
together with 3l9,753 non-emigrant
aliens, or a total of 714,S2S. The net in
crease in alien population for 1908 was
therefore only 2O9,S67, which number is
further reduced by the percentage Of
naturalized American citizens outward
bound, concerning which class no meth
cd for collecting data is provided by
law.
During the year ending June, 1911, inn
migrant aliens numbered S7S,587, nom
immigrant aliens 151.713, total 1000, 300
arrivals, while the departures were
295,666 emigrant-aliens and 222,549 nom
emigrant aliens, total 51S,215, a net in
crease to our population of 512,085.
Should not more Christian and cultural
work be undertaken for the outward as
we'll as for the inward sea passengers?
Agencies at work in the European and
American harbors should be interested
more in behalf of this swelling stream
Of humanity, whether coming or going.
The state has revised and enlarged it's
work to meet the new conditions and the
Christian church should follow it's ex-
ample. Through the German and Scan
dinavian languages, there and here,
nearly all the passengers from the Con-
tinent can be reached. The language
difficulty is not as great as many imag-
inc. Evangelical Lutherans have spec
ial call to care for those from or to the
Continent of Europe. who speak other
languages than English. Reformed peo-
pie for those or to the British Isles,
where English is the national language.
The exodus to Europe is assuming UNI
precedented proportions. In one month,
last July, 4O,749 emigrant-aliens, 29,O74
non-emigrant aliens, 6,019 United States
citizens, total 1908, Departed all will
need more than one language.
ho IF oil 10
fined by the Commissioner-Genera of
Immigration in his 1908 report thus:
ARRIVING aliens whose permanent resi-
dence has been outside the United
States, are classed as immigrant aliens.
Departing aliens whose permanent resi-
dence has been in the United States,
who intend to reside permanently out
side, are classed as emigrant aliens. All
alien residents of the United States
making a temporary trip abroad and all
aliens residing abroad making a tenn
porary trip to the United States are
classed as non-immigrant aliens on the
inward journey and non-emigrant on the
outward. The great preponderance of
non-emigrant over non-immigrant aliens
is due largely to the fact that many
who on arrival intend to reside here per-
manently, change their minds and re-
turn after a temporary residence"
During the last five years there has
been a change of sentiment in Allan
tic ocean passengers in that an increas-
ing percentage Of them protest against
being classed as emigrants or immi-
grants. In early days only the lowest
class enjoyed the luxury of an ocean
voyage, then the highest or frst-cabin
class, and now the more numerous mid
die class. A new column Of figures has
therefore been introduced into the re-
ports and bulletins. Last year the I'm
tied States citizens who arrived from
Europe were 269,12S and departed from
America 349,472. The aliens debarred
from landing and returned, 22,349 and
aliens returned after landing 2,7S8. In
all there were during the year 1921 TIT
incoming and S92,S24 outgoing passen-
gers or 428,95S less of the latter. In no
years have so many ever crossed the
water between the Old and New Worlds
as 2,214,601 in 1911.
Minneapolis, Mimi, Feb. ~, 1912.