The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1916-10-13
European Fight Has Put Stop to
. Flow of Big Human Tide to
This Country.
BEST TYPES. CANNOT COME
Germany, France and England Will
Not Let Their People Leave When
Peace Prevails. an Official
Predicts.

iO'-hCu ny tliC "AAuAopCtu wa. ANSh
the shortage OF labor. the cxceptiona!
prosperity and the high wages being
paid have failed to stimulate emigra-
ton from those countries which have
not placed an embargo upon it. Thus
runs an article by Frederic c. Howe,
Commissioner OF Immigration, in re-
cent issue Of the World. Under the
circumstances we would expect the
vacuum created by the closing Of the
doors of Germany, England, France.
Russia. Anstria-Hungary, Poland and
Italy against emigration to have slim
uatcd the flow from Scandinavia, Den
mark, Holland. Spain and Portugal,
whose gates are still open to the out.
going GOOD. This has not occurred.
For the. four years prior TO the. war
lnmis ration averaged in the neigh
borliood Of 100000 Il year ut the port
of New York. The first year of the
war 1t fell to :43,O00. The second
year it fell still further, to 10000.
The outgoing food has more than
ncutralized the incoming tide. The
net loss through this port to our pop
ulati0n during these two years was
20.793. There is still some immi-
grafton from Italy, and consider
able immigration from Greece, al.
though the immigrants from these
countries are largely men over the
military age and wives and children
coming to this country TO join hus-
bands or parents. During the three
months, May, June and July, 1916, s.
O56 Greeks entered at the port Of
New York, 1O,3O Italians and AGES
Scandinavians. Should the war he ex.
tended over the, entire. Balkan PENN.
SUM-. as now seems quite probable,
southern immigration. will be reduced
to Italy and Spain.
Pure Conjecture After Close Of War.
As to what will happen after the
war, that is pure conjecture. 1t de-
ponds upon too many influences. Un-
doubleday Germany. France and Eng
land, the most highly organized Of the
military countries, will keep their peo-
pie ut home. Wages are likely to be
high, and the soclalization of indus
try which has taken place will en-
able these states to regiment their
soldiers much as they have done dur
ing the war. This is not true OF BUS
STA, Austria, Italy sanl Vie Balkans.
And from these countries it is safe to
assume large Immigration will come.
These countries have suffered. most.
They are less highly organized than
the other powers. The burden Of tax
alton will be heavy, while the .deyasta-
tion in these countries has been very!
much greater. Should they lift the
gates and permit their people to ini-
CRATE; undoubtedly very large. pos
sibly a tremendous, Immigration will
follow the ending Of the war from
these countries.
How will the immigrants he
financed in view Of their poverty?
Just as they have been financed in
the past. for 50 per cent OF those who
come to America receive aid aud as
sistance from friends and relatives a.
ready lierc. 1t Is American money
sent to Italy. Austria, Russia and Po-
land that stimulates emigration to
this country; and in view OF the. gen.
cral prosperity of the workers this aid
will be freely. granted ut tho close Of
the war. r'
immigration is q pretty accurate
mirror Of industrial conditions. When
this country is prosperous, when
wages are high, immigration rises.
When hard times intervene and men
are out OF employment, immigration
falls.
Will Need Labor Abroad.
The same rule applies to Europe.
When conditions ore good men remain
ut home, for most Of those who come
to America would much prefer to stay
In their native countries If tile condi-
lions of life were tolerable. All Of
these forces will be acting and react
ing on one another ut the close of the
war.
If the European countries set them
selves to rehabilttate the wastage of
the war, to rebuild their roads and re-
man their factories in order to re-
capture their trade, there may be q
great demand for labor. II they
should work out an agricultural pro-
gram for cutting up the great
stretches Of feudal estates into small
holdings, to be sold on easy terms, this
too will tend to-. keep the people at
home. wy -'#s..-N r.. ~ -
1t is likely that an agricultural rcvo-
luton will follow the war anq that
the old feudal system which still pre-
walls. almost all over Europe to the.
east of Berlin will be broken up, and
individual homes like those Of France
will be provided for the people. If
such program as this should be car
ried out, and there is reason for be-
lieving that it is under contemplation,
immigration to America might be per-
manently checked for many years to
come. And quite as important. hun
dreds Of thousands Of foreign-born per-
sons might leave the United States to
acquire Il home in thcir own coun-
try. saa i
ia Couldn't Commit Suicide.
Paterson, N. J.-LOrenzo Martina