Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-12-14

Since three out of every four OF our
present-day immigrants come from couh-
tries where public education is unhearo
Of. where popular participation IN the al
fairs of the government is undreameo o.
where dire poverty is the rule. II Is ap-
parent that the immigration problem is
grave one. And then, when We CONSIDER
that two-thirds of this new" 1mmlgra-
ton comes from the rural village and Is
dumped out upon our big centers OF popu-
lation, where vice surrounds it and rat
tens upon it, where 1t feels all OF the
worst effects of our civilization and none
of its better effects, the wonder grows
that the problem is not more serious than
it is.
The economic distress that led the pio-
neers of the southern and eastern Euro
pean countries to migrate was pressing.
The average earning of a SloVak, Tor IN
stance, during the harvest season was
q cents a day. and in other seasons he
was fortunate to get half that much, Tor
work was as scarce as wages were low
If load of wood were brought to town
dozens would apply for the job OF saving
it. A strong muscular servant girl who
could scrub and wash, attend to the gar
den and look after the cattle and sheep,
besides helping with the harvest. might
get $40 a year with a big cake and a pair
SHOES tHTOWH I1dIu rye OICd0 anu
an onion constituted the daily diet. Ed
ward STEINER himself an immigrant. ana
now one of the greatest of our authori-
ties on immigration, tells of seeing pig
die of disease and being buried. Accord
ing to law it was covered with qufckl.me
and coal oil. Hardly had the burial been
completed when the carcass mysteriously
Misrepresentation the peasants were hun
cry and meat was scarce.
And so it has been everywhere. Once
the tide starts in given country it keeps
up. growing
Trail to America larger as it
Needs No Blazing. J Joshua and Cav ca.
lebs travel to this new Canaan and then
write back telling of the milk and honey
they find here, or else they go back with
the grapes of American gold, and after
that the trail needs no blazing.
The rise of the new immigration is
as remarkable as the decline of the odd"
Thirty years ago there were less than
thirty thousand Austria Hungarians COM
ing to America annually; today the an
nual arrivals total about 100000 a year.
Thirty years ago, 126 Greeks came to
America as immigrants; last year $4,000
came. Italy's contribution to our popu-
lation was six times as great in 1911 as
in 1852, Russia's ten times as great, while
Turkey sent us 1900 in 1911 as compared
with 80 in 1852.
The attitude of the governments affected
by the new immigration depends large
ly upon the degree Of it's permanence in
America. Italy, for instance, is very glad
to see it's people come over, because they
have demonstrated that they not only can
come back. but do come back. In a re-
cent investigation made by the Italian
government into conditions in Sicily the
beneficial effect of the returning of the
emigrant was declared in the strongest
terms. 1t was said that greater than the
benefit of any laws the government could
pass, better than any training the gov
eminent could give, were the benefits
conferred upon the community by the re-
turning emigrant. Not merely did he
bring new wealth, thing the community
badly needed. but what was much more
important he brought with him the
American spirit of intelligent enterprise,
which did much for his community. In
short, the report indicates that the re-
turned emigrant helps his community in
Italy about as much as an agricultural
school graduate helps the farmers of his
community in America.
And SO it is proving throughout south
ern and eastern Europe. The returning
immigrant ia