The evening leader., 1918-08-24
"Greek Life i'm America
Second nsamnt of the book written Lacey Rector
of the Church of the Redeemer, Brooklyn, N. "

streets of Athens have made the
Greek lad expert in this line. AS far
back as the time of Aristophanes the
dicast was on the lookout for a sponge
or basin of oil mixed with pitch
for his dusty shoes. The "padrone"
and Scotch immigrants are addicted to
drunkenness. The Greeks are uni
formly temperate and sober.
The weaker side of Hellenic charac-
ter is seen chiefly in factiousness and
a love of exploitation. That individ-
ualism which is so marked throughout
their whole racial history is apparent
today in the jealousies, the feuds, the
factions, the rivalry of leadership and
the intestine quarreling in the COM
munity, the church and the press.
Among Italian immigrants crimes of
violence are common. Among the
Greeks the feuds never issue in vio-
lonce, but their hatred exhausts itself
in mutual vituperation. In my own
experience | have known instances of
the most bitter anonymous attacks of
Greek on Greek. Not only do the
Greeks quarrel among themselves, but
they exhibit strong national preju-
dice and racial intolerance and do not
work harmoniously with Roumanians,
Bulgars or SAYS generally.
The mill agents at Lowell complain
Of the facsiousncss of their Greek en-,
ployes who form small groups in con-
stant alteration with one another.
The first immigrants were males
The married men came without their
system has brought the Greek into un-
pleasant notoriety from time to time
when it has developed in connection
with the shoe shining industry in this
country.
If you purchase a bouquet Of flow
ers you will often find that the shop
is owned by a Greek. A former may
CT of New York became known as
regular patron of a certain Greek
florist in Brooklyn whose fame and
sales were thereby largely enhanced.
If perchance you have gone for a
trip to Coney Island you have not
failed to notice the conspicuous sign
Of our Greek friend, John Economo-
p0ulos. The economic activities of
American Greeks are as wide as the
geographical distribution. Peddling,
shoe shining, milling, restaurant keep
ing, mining, spinning, diving, offer
avenues to Greek enterprise. The new
corner stands ready to take the first
job of any kind that offers. He viii
usually join gang in construction
work. Bishop Petcrkin once came up
on group of Greeks in remote
county in West Virginia. They were
recent comers and were working on 2
railroad, When they heard of the
bishops arrival they sent an inter-
prefer to ask if they might escort him
to the little church, which they did
j with great ceremony. The bishop fe't
sorry to see them stand, as is their
custom, through the service and ser
mon, not understanding a word of
English, and he gave the benndiction
in Greek to their great satisfaction.
! In economic l;fe the strong elements
of Hellenic character come to the f>rp
The Greek is independent, self reliant
ambitious. AS soon as he acclmulates
a little money he launches ont in some
commercial enterprise for himself.
! Prof. Ross ventures the assertion tha.
every Greek in America is sclf-suD-
porting. The drift of the crigr4nts
is toward trade. They are shrew!
business men.
Homer relates how Glaucus and
Dlomede met in battle on the Trojan
plain. The former challenged his foe
and inquired concerning his ancestry.
When Glaucus unfoldod his high
lineage the two refused to fight ans!
swore friendship. The willy Dio,ncde
suggested an exchange of arms to S. a,
the oath and gave his own bronze ar
NOR for the costly gold armor of the
Trojan hero. Thus Homer uncon-
sciously portrays the instinct for keen
bargaining which is no less pronounc-
ed in the Greek in America today,
making him clever tradesman. They
bring to their new home spirit of
thrift and enterprise, and are never