The Washington times., 1919-10-01
Foreigners SWAMP
STEAMSHIP OFFICES
Thousands Seek to Leave the
United States for
Native Lands.

NEW YORK, oct. IA stream OF
emigFants from America that viii
number hundreds OF thousands will
aow back 70 European countries as
soon as transportation facilities viii
permit, according to consular officials
IN New York, who report that their
ohices are swamped with applicants
for passage back to the old countries.
Authorities familiar with the situ-
alton predict important effects from
the wave OF emigration, which re-
Hitherto there has always been q
huge how OF immigrants from the
European lands TO America.
Several reasons are suggested as
responsible for the turning Of the
emigration tide between Europe and
America Jointly they are considered
sufficient to cause a wave Of inn
migration to Europe.
The general tie-up in trans-At-
lantic traHio during the five years OF
war IS one Of the causes for the con-
.centrated desire Of Europeans to re-
turn home now, think authorities.
Many men who came. here 20 work
have not been able 20 visit their
Return Home wealthy
Applications 6isd with cousulates
show that the majority Of these emi-
grants do not intend % return %
America with their families but feel
that they viii have better oppor-
tunities IN the old countries. High
wages during the war. and especially
during Americas participation 81 it
have enabled most Of the foreigners
to return home with savings sufs
hcient to make them quite independ-
ent on the old scale OF living.
It is predicted. however, that few
OF them realize the cost of living iu
Europe, where scales have risen more
than in America, and that these re-
turning Capitalists viii be dieap- /
pointed. This will Re especially true /
Of italy, IL is believed, where it has
long been the custom to go 70 Amer /
lea a few years and return 9 Well-to-
DO citizen.
The greatest permanent rush Of
peoples viii be to the small nations /
freed from yokes Of Austria. and Ger
many by the allied victory, it Isl
thought, judging from indications at /
.consulates of Poland, CEecho-Slovalzia. /
Serbia and Rumania- There is also /
strong movement Under way to-
ward countries formerly under the I
Russian Cars rule. especially Finns I
and Lithuanians. According 70 emiH- /
saries OF the Russian Soviet govern
ment in New York more than half q 4
million Russians throughout the 1
country want 70 return 70 Russia.
Predict Labor Shortage.
It IS impossible TO estimate the 4
strength Of the movement 10 Germany
and Austria, there being no. consular
representatives Of these countries In
America.
Economists see In the emigration 4
movement serious problems for Amer
lea, which may lose almost a million !
WoFkingmen in the course Of two or
three years. 1t Is said this viii Cauae i
q scarcity Of the so-called cheap 4
labor for unsEilled work and keep 4
wages high.
At the same time Europe viii grad II
ually get more labor, which viii tend II
70 reduce wages on that continent, II
and probably reduce prices though II
the emigrants will be scattered III
through such q large population that III
they VIII not affect European coun- III
tries as much as their absence will be III
felt in the United States
SociOlogists see In the movement a III
purifying fthe American nationality, III
which has been strengthened and III
welded together by the war. Removal III
Of that part Of the population which
has no desire Of being assimiIated
would be a good thing, they think, in
spite Of the shortage OF labor II
might create.