Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1914-09-16
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pied. In the conquered territories LII
 war will be followed by ceconsruc !, ton means. The four years from lS6
 to 1869 hurt tine South more than tn
 four years of actual warfare. Durln
 that period million of the best peo
 ple of the South would have left 1
 they had known any place to go. Op
 portunities for emigration did not ex ist then as they do now. But even a: it was hundreds of thousands of the best people of the South went to Tex as and other parts of the Southwes, where ther brain and Drawn nave ever since constituted much of the best that exists.
 Whatever immigration may come from the north of Europe as result of the Liz war, not much of it can go to our Western States. It will be an immigration in search of cheap lands for agricultural development. Such lands can no longer be found .n our West. Land values there are as high as in many parts of Europe. If inn migration is not diverted to the Southern States it will not come to the United States at all. It will go either to Canada or to South America.
 The situation presents an oppor- tunity for which the South has long waited. She has been compelled to sit supine and watch an immigration of 10,00O,000 souls going to our North western state ot tke upbuilding of cities of 50,000 to 100000 population within the memory of any middle aged man.
 In more recent years the immigra- tion from the north of Europe, par ticularly from Germany, to the United States has greatly diminished, much of it being supplanted by the much less desirable immigration from Medi- terranean countries. This change in the character of European immigra- tion to the United States has been mainly due to the phenomenal indus trial and commercial development of Germany, which we now recognize to have been artificially fostered by all sorts of government bouty and subsi- dies as a part and parcel of the Hohenzcllern dream of world con- quest. It has come to an end, and in all probability to such end as will bring Germany to the verge of ruin. Millions of her people will seek new homes across the sea. Many of them will go to Brazill and other South American countries, to which coun- tries German immigration in recent years has been heavy. But many of them will come to the United States If they are made to know they can secure here peace and liberty and cheap lands. The South can offer in the fullest measure all they can ask for
 It is none too early for the South to take the matter up in order to be ready for what is coming. The situa- tlOn affords an uneXampled opportun- ity for the Southern Commercial Con- gross to get busy and demonstrate it's usefulness. It is early yet, of course, to begin any direct propaganda, but much preliminary work can be done. One of the chief obstacles to be en- Ccuntered is an almost universally exaggerated idea of the percentage of negro population in the South and the consequent idea that there is 10 good opportunity for the European immigrants who settle here It is d vast mistake that has worked great harm to the South. A good way to remove it and to secure the immi- grafton is better than that from Ger many-would be fore the Southern Commercial Congress, with whatever assistance it can enlist from local and other bodies, to compile a com plete roster of every foreign horn resident in the South. with informa- tion as to the particular district of Europe from which he came; and to secure from as many of these, as well as our citizens of foreign parentage. letters setting forth conditions as they have found the min the South.
 Work along this line would be of a most effective sort. It is an entire ly feasible proposition that needs only intelligent work to be carried through. The money for carrying it through can be obtained The lumber me nof the South, owners of large areas of land that at present is nearly valueless for the lack of people to nnlfiY1tn if ho