The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-05
They Came To This Country
After Having Deserted
THOUGHT IT SAFE SPOT
Story Of the immigration Into
United States For Past
Twelve Months
Associated Press dispatch

Associated Press pispat5h.l
Washington, April 3.-While war
has stemmed the tide of immigration
it has not entirely stopped it. And,
as the flow of immigrants from
Europe has been cut down to COM
paratively nothing, it has increased
at the Canadian, Mexican and Pacific
stations. For a decade before the
war the annual influx Appropriated
million a year. From July to De-.
cember last year the number fell to-
SO222. Moreover, the decreasing
stream of newcomers is being offset
to a remarkable degree by the exc
dus from America of those desiring to
return to their native lands. In fact,
the departures outnumbered the ad-
| Der. A great many of those leaving
the country since the beginning OF the
war have been allied reservists who
have gone back to answer the call to
the colorS.
While war conditions have cur
tailed the usual duties Of the imml-
grafton service, a new fiel0 has heen
opened that requires even more in
tensive application and effort. Be
ginning with the seizure of the Ger
man ships, the service has been
called upon to assist other agencies
of the government in many important
lines of work Especially have the
inspectors been active in prohibiting
the entrance or departure of enemy
aliens. in the detection of spies. the
surveillance and comprehension OF
suspects and in capturing draft law
evaders,
A great part of the facilities OF the
immigration stations, especially along
the Atlantic coast, have been turned
over to other lines of war work. The
great receiving depot at Ellis Island
now is devoting only twenty five or
thirty per cent of it's space to handl-
ing immigration, and somewhat SINH
lar conditions exist at other Atlantic
ports.
AS ever, the service is employed
actively in preventing surreptitious
entry into the country of objection
able aliens, chiefly Chinese coolies.
Although the traffic has been crt
down materially by vigilance, the
great financial inducements offered
those who successfully can run the
blockade prevent a complete cur
tailment of the practice
The number of stOwaways on shios
was twice as many in the last half
of 1917 as in the preceding twelve
months, ninety-three altogether hav-
ing beer detected and debarred. IN
! cluded in the number were several
German soldiers who deserted, fed to
neutral countries, then sought to find
safe haven by hiding on America
bound vessels.
Although the tide of immigration
dropped from million to 100000 the
first year of the war and has since
steadily been on the decline. there
is every prospect that the flow VIII
not resume its pre-war proportions
for a decade or more after the treaty
of peace.
America, practically since its dis
covery has been the land of promise
for the ambitious, the adventuresome.
or the oppressed people of other
lands. Beginning with the Argonauts
of the early seventeenth century who
established colonies along the Atlantic
seaboard. the tide steadily had in, !
creased until the first part of the
present century saw millions eagerly
setting their faces towards the new
world
They came principally in the
steerage of the great ocean liners.
ever with determination to win fortune
and enjoy liberty The immigrants
still come from Europe but in small
scattered groups, mostly of women or
children Joining relatives here The
ravages Of war have made it. an abb
snInte necessity for the belligerents
to retain within their own borders all
useful manpower-nDt alone for
active fighting or imperative nom
cnmbatant tasks behind the lines. but
for the great work of. rehabilitation
that must start when hostilities
cease
Even the neutrals-Norwav. Swe-
den Denmark and Holland-are dis
couraging emigration, recognizing that
the loss of even small portions nf
their populations may prove a mate
rial after-war economic loss.
With the great stream of immigra-
ton curtailed for p while. the nation
even in the rush of war, will find adj
ditional time to break I'm. educate
and Americanize the polyglot groups
in the larger cities. There are manv
or these elements which, it is as
serted. have not yet begun to he as
simulated in American national life
Their language. customs and ideals
-enain practically unchanged in their
new surroundings.
Americanization of an emigrant Of
this class offers great problems and
greater rewards for the social worker
A. G.. Gilmore is securing consider
able trade from farmers in the vicip
itv of Vernon who realize that tho