The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1919-07-12
GREAT EXODUS
OF ALIENS FROM
UNITED STATES
Steel Mills and Coal Mines viii
Suffer Most From Loss
Of Employees.

WESTINGHOUSE an ex-
haustive investigation by the Depart
ment of Labor into the number OF
aliens who contemplate returning to
their native lands, it has been found
that large number plan to return as
soon as steamship accommodations
are obtainable.
Steel mills and coal mines will prob
ably be two of the largest industries
affected by the exodus. inasmuch as
these two industries employ more of
this sort of labor THAI any other.
The Investigations covered particu-
larly the supposed factor that foreign
propaganda was behinu the exodus. 1t
was found by field agents that this
supposition was incorrect. The foreign
language press and the clergy has
return.
Statement by Labor Heads.
The statement by the labor bureau
says:
THE agents of the service have
found that literature from Europe
urging aliens to return has bean
neither widely distributed nor influ-
entail. The principal cause for the
flow Of emigration that has already
begun is the desire of the aliens here
to learn what has befallen their FAM
lilies in their native lands. Many aliens
have told investigators that they have
not heard from their wives and Chill
dren for four years. They have sent
money home but have no means Of
knowing whether it has been received
Another important cause of immigra-
ton in certain sections is the desire to
participate in the settlement of estates
of relatives killed during the war.
Apart from family or financial in
terests in Europe probably the M ost
important cause of emigration, SO far
as the Investigators have determined,
is unemployment. which is still severe
in certain sections Of the country.
There is also the desire on the part
of many foreigners to return to the
lands Just freed from German or Aus
trian domination, for they believe that
opportunities will be better in the new
democracies than in the United States.
"a great deal of detail has been COL
lected in connection with emigration.
Figures from many cities show that
fully so per cent of the aliens of cer-
tain races intend to go back to Eu-
rope. A large numbe of these fully
expect eventually to return to Amer
lea, but others say that they do not
want to come back here. In the case
of many. it is probable that conditions
abroad will influence their decision
in one way or the other.
1.-The clergynen of one foreign
church with 1000 parishioners ex-
pected not more than 100 to remain
in this country. In an Indiana city
| with a. large Rumanian population,
from 40 to so per cent want to re-
turn to their homeland, Pennsylvania.
Few Poles in the same city expect to
! return but $50 Of the 900 Serbians
wished to go, and it was said that if
unemployment became more serious
! the number would be increased. AL
ready $50 Italians and 100 Greeks
have left this city. The numbers are
| large in view of the size of the Italian
and Greek population.
IAN investigation by steel plant
showed that sc per cent of it's alien
| employees were married and that Ga
per cent had their dependents in the
old country. In this plant 81 per cent
| of the aliens declared their intention
| to return and Of this number 81 per
| cent said they were going to stay.
Only per cent plannci to return only
/ for a visit. This investigation, priv
| ately conducted. confirms the inquir-
| les made by the Department Of Labor.
! Among Lithuanians there is a
! strong feeling that if Lithuania be-
! comes Independent there will be a
| large movement back to that coun-
! try.
| The figures given are taken almost
| at random from a la' ge mass of ma
terial gathered by investigation and
| inspection service. A typical letter
from a steamship company. showing
that emigration propaganda by such
| companies is practically negligible. re-
| cites that only Albanians, Croatians,
Serbians and Da1matians can be &C.
copied for transportation by that line
and that since the company could not
say in advance whether its steam
ships sailing j.. May would carry
third class passengers no reservations
| for passage could be made until the
steamers reached port here"