Lincoln County times. (Jerome, Idaho) 1911-1919, 1915-12-02
War and Immigration.

NN"pildl NEWS.
The ultimate effect of the war upon
emigration and consequently upou
labor conditions is becoming the sun
Jet OF considerable discussion and
appears to be causing concern in DIFF
ferent quarters for directly opposite
reasons. A widespread belief exists
that al the conclusion OF hos,ilities
there Will be great food Of pigra.
ton to the United States OF foreign
ers anxious to be relieved OF their
share Of the burden OF all imnlonse
war debt. and to make homes in
country where there is more assur.
ance OF continued peace. Some who
hold this view are advocating re-
strictive Legislation to protect the
native workman. On the other hand
many are Of the opinion thar the
death and disablement OF SO many
workmen on European battlcfclds.
taken with the vast work OF room
struction which must follow the var
/ Will bring about a shortage OF labor
and an extraordinary demand for It
that Will not only keep the foreign
laborer at home but will even start
a tide OF immigration from America
to Europe
This is the conviction OF Frederick
/ c. Howe. commissioner OF immigra
ton at the port OF New York. who
writes in the current Review OF lee
views. Despite the fact that he sees
a period OF great industrial prosper
ity at hand In the United States, Il
condition which ordinarily attracts
immigration, nevertheless, he thinks
such a factor will be more thar :oun-
terbalanced by exceptional circum-
stances in Europe. AS result OF
one year OF war. 1t is calculated that
100000 TO 100000 have been
killed or disabled. with the possibil-
ity that the second years slaughter
will be- even greater For the most
part the toll has been taken from
the workers OF the nation. the young
and the ft Belgium. the north Of
France. Poland Slesia. western
Russia, Serbia and Turkey have been
oyerrun with contending armies and
millions OF dollars worth of dam
age has been done Innumerable
houses and buildings have been de-
stroyed; certain highways have
been injured and others neglected !;
horses and cattle have been requlsi-
toned and destroyed; the trade OF
Germany. Austria and Russia has
been shut out from the markets of
the world and mills and factories
have been turned into munitioD
plants.
At the end OF the war the work OF
rehabilitation must start. Houses
and buildings must be rebuilt, high
ways reopened. farms re-equipred
and restocked. An attempt Will be
made to regain lost markets and
factories and mills will be worked to
capacity to provide the things that
war has destroyed. or made unneces-
sary during its continuance There
will be a shortage of men on the one
hand and an unparalleled demand
for labor on the other that, in the
opinion Of Mr. Howe, will bring
about a condition that has not con-
fronted Europe since the beginning
of the industrial revolution. labor
vacuum. he thinks. will be the great
outstanding fact at the close OF the
war. All Europe will probably com
pete for labor. This situation will
automatically bring about a rise in
wages and change in the relation
between employer and employed
which. he thinks. will Immediately
check immigration. Thousands OF
alien laborers in America who retain
lingering affection for their native
land will return when economic con
ditions are more nearly equalized
q Many of them return as it is as soor
as competence is earned. Last yeai
257.295 did so and this number, i
is thought. will be increased man,
times after the war.
Another effect of the war which
may tend to stimulate emigration t'
} Europe is the death or disablemen
of large land-owning mobiles of cen
trail and eastern Europe. Larg'
estates have been devastated an'
difficulty may be had in procuring
labor for working the land. Sucl
, conditions may result in division o
great feudal estates into small peas
ant farms. as happened In France af
ter the French revolution. and a
was ordered in Germany unde
Stein and Hardenberg, and. more re
Gently. in Denmark. other influence
may tend to the same end. The eco
monte power of France is thought L
be largely the result of a wider dis
.4,l. haa oil