Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-06

n BOUT thirty years ago United
~ States immigration commenced
"A to take on characteristics tnat
We're calculated to set the sub
ject in the open as a problem OF
increasing completely and urgency Prior
to that time 1t was looked upon as a
movement to be accepted and even en-
couraged on both economic and senti-
mental grounds But by 1882 the volume
of immigration had swelled to somewhat
startling proportions At about that
time too. the source of emigration shift
ed from northwestern to southeast
ern Europe. a most significant change.
In 1882, also. Congress passed its first in
elusive immigration laws, indicating its
awakened attitude toward the subject.
For these reasons the modern period of
immigration may be said to date from
1852 or Whereabouts. 1t is at this point
that Mr.. Fairchild begins his investiga-
ton. prefacing it with brief review, by
way of historical setting, of the earlier
periods Of foreign movement toward the
United States. The study covers, as most
Investigations of this subject do, the
racial composition of the immigrant in
vasion and the meaning of this, the
causes of this outgoing, the home condi-
tions. the distribution of these new peo-
pie in the United States, their effect on
the social and industrial life around them.
their general influence upon labor-stand-
ards of living, wages. unemployment,
pauperism, crime. But Mr.. Fairchild
goes much farther than this. These facts
form but the foundation upon which he
states plainly the many-sided problem Of
immigration and moreover, completes an
argument for the United States side of
this problem. The notable features of
this study are Cd its worldwide breadth
of sociological view, CD its wealth of at
tested fact. t3) the correct thinking of
this author in establishing the logic of
these interviewer facts SO far as their
bearing upon the United States is con-
cerned. At this point one recalls. in
sharp contrast, an earlier writer's study
of this subject, a study that summed to
a speeiously plausible argument for un-
restricted immigration. Mr.. Fairchild's
expert and mastery work brings him to
the opposite conclusion: THAT we are
by no means prepared to accept the ire
mendoqs responsibility of admitting un-
limited numbers Of aliens whose entire
future destiny depends upon the sound
ness. of our political. social and economic
fabric" United States immigration is a
subject Of vital concern to intelligent and
thoughtful citizenA Mr.. Fairchilds au-
thorttative and absorbing study is cal
culated in surprising degree to do away
with our half-knowledge of this subject
TO correct our poor or our incomplete
thinking in reference to 1t and to extend
adequately our information along this
line.
GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN. BY
Frank L. Packard, author Of ION
the Iron at Big Cloud" Illustrated
by W. L. Jacobs. New York: George
II. Doran Company.
Murder committed, the course of the
usual novel Is to surround it with cir
cumstances of such mystery as to give
free play to the authors ingenuity in de-
veloping a detective story But this is
not the usual novel. not in any sense a
detective story. On the contrary, it
IS story of such complete self.
sacrifice. based upon motives of such
high and selfiess nobility, that one, read
ing. catches more than one passing like
ness to the Great Atonement itself. Varge
self-confessed murderer but wholly guilt
less withal. is a great character, a big
and simple soul shaped to the passions or
unseifish love and devoted service The
murder, whose trail of events makes up
this story. is the unprecedented result of
an alteration between father and SON.
Paralyzed with fear at what he has done,
the son goes to the room of his foster
brother. Varge. wakes him. tells what
has happened. and begs Varge. with many
speciously put reasons. to accept sus-
picion for the act by himself going away
curity. begin life anew. Varge. to save
his beloved foster-mother the unspeaka Bile
knowledge that her son killed his own
father. agrees to do this. Instead of GO
ing away. however. he gives himself up
confesses the crime. with many carefully
Worked-out details of attending circum-
stances. and is sentenced to life i'm
prisonment. All this. in thrilling first
CHAPTER The story itself has to do with
Varge as a prison .'lifer," with the eff
fects OF this life upon his spirit. with his
impress upon the prison life itself and
later. with the conditions that make
escape appear to him as n justiiable
measure. Escape and recapture move the
story. thrillingly. to the roint where
there is no longer occasion for Varge's
persistent and unbreakable avowal of
guilt The story ends with his release
and restoration TO public confidence. Mr.
Packard has. with very unusual power,
envisioned and moved up into the present,
and set in the terms OF common life this
human adventure in self-renunciation.
THE IRON TRAIL: An Alaskan RO-
nance. BY Rex Beach, author of
The Silver Horde" etc. Illustrated
New York: Harper & Bros.
As a rule the Rex Beach novels serve
the purpose. each. of opening another
new chapter in the story of breaking
Alaska to the harness OF industry,
traffic. commerce. When 1T grew no
longer tolerable that this region remain
In the single role of splendid spec
facie. an idle and unproductive role, then
began the great adventure of setting this
naughty and repelling land to work
elong with the delving. sweating other
three corners Of the earth. Shops fac
tories. opening mines hamlets camps
and roads mark the line of assault upon
TINS austere and grandly poetic recluse
Mir. Beach's part in the bold enterprise
appears TO be that OF setting out now
TINS now that feature. of the prod.gious
scheme, in thrilling drama, that amaz-
ing Drama of industrialism wherein both
the passions and the genius of men surge
to their highest reaches The Iron Trail9
is the story OF the road-builder exalted
TO hero of Homeric pattern by his in
credible struggles with the monstrous
forms OF this isolate. chaotic place nv
MS protean labors 10 subdue them IL
may De, to circumvent or even To MIA
cate them IL must be. To correlate these
hostile parts, TO unite them with hands
and hoops of steel. and ultimately n
turn a highway over in bond 10 the
prosaic uses of business life, is the IA ak
OF Murray O'Neil and his men And this
task is TO bridge rivers that rush like
ocean streams. to reckon with the piled
UP volume of the crawling glacier 10
anchor the bottomless morass and span
II. TO cross canyons that cleave the earth
10 its heart Then there are the sub
tier tasks. those involved in the pre-
carious dealings with men and money
And the women. one must not forget the
women. As something to look at this
romance Is great spectacle In action
II Is a thing OF bone Drawn sinew its
arteries stretched with the full tide oi