The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-11-02

Washington. D. c.. Nov. 1.-Afri-'
can negroes made up about seven
times as large part Of the stream
of immigrants that flowed into
America during the fiscal year Of
1919 as they did in 1918. Mexicans
tired Of revolution swelled the pro-
portion Of their race IN the stream
to about eighteen times what 1t was
before the war;
These striking facts, 1t should be
remembered. are based on proper
tional figures. The total immigra-
ton in 1918 was over q million,
while in the fiscal year OF 1919 It
was only 100000. In other words
we were then receiving nearly eight
times as many immigrants as We
did during 1919. But 1t is the pro-
portional change Of the various
races that is significant.
Many scientists regard the ques-
ton Of race as the one OF para
mount importance in the effect that
immigration has on the future OF
the country. Politicians, on the
other hand, uniformly dodge the
race issue because Of its delicacy.
Only on the Pacific coast, where
Japanese immigration has become
a burning issue. Is any attempt
made to face the racial factor. 1t
is interesting to note that nearly
as many Japanese entered the Unit
! ed States in 1919 as in 1913. which
means that they we're about nine
times as large a percentage Of the
total immigration last year as they
were before the war
Certainly racial snobbishness ia
not to be tolerated. The theory of
the essential superiority Of the
blonde races over the dark ones,
for example, has been vigorously
upheld by some anthropologists
but it has now fallen into disre-
pute. 1t is generally recognized
that the dark Mediterranean pe0-
pie. for example, have certain racial
traits which the blonde Nord'c
strain lacks. Likewise, the useful
ness Of any given man to his adopt.
! ed country does not depend primar-
! lily on his race. A negro may be-
come a valuable citizen and q
Swede may be rogue But it can.
not be denied that a thousand ex.
ira Swedes are to be preferred to a
thousand extra negroes. 1t is hard
to contemplate with eQuanimity
deluge of negroes, Mexicans and
Japanese; yet that is what We have
been receiving during the veal
1919.
Great Changes.
The whole makeup Of the immi'
grafton stream has been radically
altered. As is generally we'll known
American immigration was made w
for many years Of Englishmen
Welshmen, Irishmen. Germans anG
Scandinavians. These immigrants
made up the America which wal
until 1890. Then the South Itali.
ans and East Europeans began
pouring in, while the influx of NORTH
and west European races fell OF.
Now all is changed. With ths
growth of Japanese. negro anC
Mexican immigration as new fac
tors. the east and south European
immigration has greatly declined
The proportion Of South Italians
for example. was only about 10tf
in 1919 what it was in 1913, and the
proportion Of Hebrew. Magyar. Rus
sian, Slovak, Romanian, Syrian ant
Turkish immigrants has also de
clined enormously. At the SAM
time, the proportion of Englishmen
Scotchmen and Frenchmen VIII,
came to this country in 1919 eacl
increased to about four times wha
it was in 1913.
This is the encouraging featur,
of the immigration outlook - tina
Frenchmen and Englishmen ar,
seeking the home Of their late allie
in ever-increasing numbers.
OF course, the character Of post
war immigration is still in tn
making. The influx Of aliens i
much greater today than it was il
1919. threatening to reach pre-wa
proportions. Also it is different I,
some extent in character. Thu
the recent Polish debacle is said t
have sent a horde of Poles in thi
direction, while in 1919 compare
lively few of them arrived. But tn
important fact is that the characte
of immigration has radically alter
ed. The old immigration probler
has become a new one Intelligen
Legislation on the subject should b
based on a complete new survey O
the facts.