New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-02
THE NEW AMERICANS
They Are Warmly Defended Against
Professor Ross Attacks.

To the Editor Of The Tribune.
Sir: Professor Edward Alsworth Ross
of the University of Wisconsin, has writ
ten a series Of articles on immigration
and immigrants His articles abound In
inaccuracies and misleading information.
Some of these blunders have been pointed
out editorially in various journals Mr..
CYRUS L. sulzberger also proved that Pro-
lessor Ross figures were wrong. Pro-
fessor Ross In his first article stated
that the emigration OF 5000 Rumanian
Jews between January and August 1900
was brought about by steamship agents,
who created great excitement in Ru-
mania by distributing glowing circulars
about America" According to the Com
missioner General OF immigration, the
total number Of Jewish emigrants from
Rumania IN 1900 and 1901 was 1900, in
stead Of being as Professor Ross stated
5000 in eight Of those twenty four
months.
Professor Ross has made no attempt 10
explain this lnaccuracy and others that
were rought 10 his attention The
Century" is advertising this series Of ar
ticles, and because Of the high standard
OF the magazine these articles are res
garded as authoritative and convincing.
If such learned gentlemen as Professor
Ross adhered TO the truth more closely;
Il they showed a deeper sympathy and a
more charitable spiri; toward the human
beings who seem to them but iifeless fig
ures: II they did not seek to arouse the
preiudices Of the old er Americans against
the newer Americans, Of the older immi-
grants against the newer immigrants, II
would be much easier for the newcomers
to assnlilate the spirit Of America.
Professor Ross, in his latest article in
the January Century" says: For the
Declaration OF Independence and the
Fourth Of July they (tne immigrants)
show naive enthusiasm which We Amer
leans felt a generation ago, before our
muck had been raked. The spirit OF re-
volt against wrong says a well known
worker among immigrants, is stronger
in the fOreign-born than IN the natives.
because they come here expecting so much
democracy and they are shocked by the
reality they find. 1t is they who insist
upon the complete programme of social
Justice"
Granting all this" the learned Pro-
fessor adds. finding fault with the immi-
grant there is no denying that many Of
the later immigrants have only dim un-
Outstanding OF what the ballot means and
how il may be used
Such experts as Professor Ross. who
color the facts to suit certain pet theories
of theirs. who misinterpret the aims and
ambitions of the immigrants, are doing
much to cause the immigrant to lose his
naive enthusiasm" for the Declaration OF
independence. ..-,.. -r
Professor Ross also finds fault with the
immigrants intellectual baggage. He
writes:
The plain truth is ;hat rarely does an
immigrant bring IN his intellectual bag
gage anything of use to US. The music OF
Mascagni and Debussy, the plays of Ibsen
and Maeterlinck, the poetry of Rostand
and Hauptmann, the fiction of Jokai and
Sienkiewicz were not brought to US by
way of Ellis Island. What We want is not
merely ideas, fruitful ideas, fructifying
ideas. BY debating the ideas of Metz
sche OSWALD Bergson, Metchnikoff or
Ellen Key American thought is stimu-
lated. But should We gain from the intro
duction Of old Asiati points Of view" etc?
If Professor Ross would take the trouble
of finding out what the immigrants read,
what plays they prefer to see. what au-