Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-09-25

NAkH y aa1A
allowed to land until next week ir
order to give the inspectors a chance
to pass upon those already there.
Every ship coming over Ia crowd.
ed with smigrants from Europe who
desire to take advantage Of the peace
and safety and to enjoy the oppor-
tunities that this country has ia
offer. Reports from European ports
tell of the congested condition there
also. thousands OF people awaiting
their turn to board a ship for
America. At Danzig alone there are
said 10 be thousands waiting to come
across; many of them win be de-
tained several months before they
can secure accommodations.
Immediately after the close of the
war there was a great exodus from
this country. The foreigners fiocked
to the old country by the thousands
expecting TO ind great opportunities
there. They had been making fab
uious wages here while the war was
going on and, under the old stand
ards, they would be considered rich
back home. Many of them took their
wealth and returned.
But there was a rude awakening
coming. Europe as they found IL up
on their arrival there after the war
was not the same Europe they had
left when they first emigrated to
America They found the old coun-
try Frustrated by the war. Fields
were laid in waste and cities were
destroyed; new and strange govern
ments had sprung up. Taxes are so
high that wealth is literally conns-
Gated. Those who thought conditions
were hard in America soon found
that they were a great worse in
Europe.
Time enough has elapsed to have
the truth brought over here and 1t
Is found that the travel to Europe is
not nearly as heavy as it was when
the war ended. On the contrary,
those already here are sending for
their relatives to come over and join
them. America with all her faults
looks pretty good to the whole world
just now.
But with this great tide of immi-
grafton flowing this way once more.
some steps ought to be taken to
Americanize the new corners as soon
as they arrive. They should be told
frankly that if they do not intend to
become American citizens and grow
up as one of us they are not wanted
here. The war opened our eyes to
the deplorable condition that had de-
veloped through our indifference to
the great number of foreigners COM
ing here, settling in communities OF
their own and. in a sense, trans
porting a little patch of the old
country to American soil. When the
test Of loyalty to America came 1t
was found that the first problem was
to Americanize many OF our W
citizens.
AS a result of the revelations
brought about by the war American
.ization work has been developed on
a large scale. Thousands of the boys
who went into the army could not
speak the English language. This,
then. is the first essential. Any per-
son who intends to make his way in
America must speak the language of
this country. To become a loyal
citizen of the United States he must
understand the principles of this
government and have a knowledge
of the history of the country.
Now that immigration has set in
again on a large scale, some system
should be devised for the proper dis
'tribution of these newcomers. They
should be sen to the sections Of the
country where they are needed most
They should not be permitted to
drift into the tenement districts OF
the large cities to become the easy
prey of the profteering landlord and
the slave-driving contractor.
America welcomes the sturdy i'm
migrant from Europe. but only with
the understanding that he is to be-
come an American. accept American
ways and leave all the strange and
~fantastical Ideas behind. There is
room in this country for all who de-
sire to come here, but only on con-
dition that they accept America as
she is. obey her constitution and
laws, respect her flag and learn her
Language. Every immigrant ought
to thoroughly understand this be-
fore leaving the other side.
GOVERNMENT WASTE.
49, ---.-H g.