La libera parola. [volume] (Philadelphia, Pa.) 1918-1969, 1921-01-09
THE italian in America"

Larticolo The Italian in Ame-
rica' che qui appreso pubbhchiamo,
doveva andare mel numerO speciale
delIo scorso Natalie, ma la mancan-
"a di spazio CT impedi' di pubbh-
carlo.
Autore di esso e il Prof. N. A.
De Wits, socio delIOrdine Figli dI-
talia mel Western Pennsylvania, il
Quale insegna nella Fifth Ave. High
School di Pittsburgh.
Lo scorso giugno il Prof De Wits
veniva onorato della chiave d'oro
della Phi Beta Kappa" dallUni-
versita di Allegheny; onore, questo,
supreme, che 81 conferisoe per me-
riti scientifici II Prof. De Wits
e. il secondo italiano in America
che ha ricevuto smile onOrioenza.
Quando, Tanno seorso, 81 reoO' in
Ispagna daIla Real Hispano-Ame-
ricana di Cadiz veniva nominate So
clio onorario di quelIAccademia. E
gil e. il terzo Professore italianO di
America.
II Prof. De Wits e figlio di padre
Abruzzese e propriamente di Letto
Paleno in Provincial di Chieti.
Quando, recentemente, law. Pa0-
lini 81 laureO' in giurisprudenZa, egli
ei scrisse compiacendosi con Iegre-
gio connazi0nale cOncludendo:
"cosi' desideriamo che facciano gil
italiani, onde moi immigrant possIa-
mo continuare lie tradizioni della
nOstra Patria."
Diamo ora la parola al Prof De
Wits:
The Italian has been driven from
home by necessity TO work. con#e-
auently the result is that almost
eighty per cent. of the italian tm-
migrants are males The eighty
per cent. Of human capital of
fresh. strong young men" is i-alg
contribution 70 America. and '5 "
force winning It's way 60 Feoos
milton. This point does not seem
TO be clear to our American breth-
rem OF Anglo-SaEon descent other
wise we would not see. unfortun@-
tely only too often, sweeping gene
ralizations made that organ-grin-
dars, day-laborers and Iruit-peddiars
are the representatives in America
OF the land OF Columbus and Yes
pucci Of Michael Angelo and
Rafael, OF Galyani Galiieo and Mar
conf OF Dante, Petrarrh Tasso and
Boccaccio Of Mazzini, Garihaldi and
CaVour, Of Rossini and Verdi.
Let us reserve Judgment until
we have considered the facts in the
case. To be sure, many of the
Italians here are laborers, but it
must be remembered that good
laborer is an indispensable factor in
the industrial life of the nation.
The Italian is a good worker. DR..
S. II. Lee, in Baptist Home Mission
Monthly quotes what a contractor
says of him: when the lunch hour
is over. when the clock strikes, the
Italian will be leaning on his shovel
ready to go to work, but the Irish
man will be out under that tree
and he will be three minutes gett-
ing to his job, and three minutes
each. for one hundred and fifty
men, is no small item" And DR..
Lee adds, the Italian does not
'egard his employer as his natural
enemy. He has spirit of kindly
service.
And no wonder These people
are not the scum of their country,
as some yellow journals and muck
rakers would have us believe, but
they are the very flower of the la
boring class OF italy. Isn't 1t eyi-
dent then that they form an i'm
portant element in our social
faOricF Ihis may seem broad
statement to some but we can give
taets' lie US quote some statistics
OF New YORK Cly where IN lSob
'he ltallauS numbered 4oO,oVo ana