The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1922-05-13
BIG MIGRATION
AMONG NATIONS
Greatest Exodus Since Days of
Moses Now Taking Place.
MOSTLY PEOPLE OF WEALTH

French Are Leaving for Italy as Eng
lish Move Into France-Swiss Trek
to Baden While Hebrews and Others
From Poland Are Looking to Amer.
ica-People of Small Fixed incomes
Are Switching From One Country to
Another in Europe.
"One result of the war is that a big
ger exodus is now taking place among
the nations than at any time since the
days of Noses" This statement, made,
on his way hOmeward through Paris
by an American, who has until recent
in CZecho- Slovakia, exaggerated as 1t
may sound, expresses only one side of
a very large truth.
For in the days of the Jewish ex-
odus, or of the great tribal movements
at the first settlement of Europe, when
whole nations moved, they included
many individuals, but little wealth.
Nowadays it is the people with the
wealth who are migrating-a very
much more serious thing for those who
remain behind, says the New York
Herald.
Within the last twelve months sew
eral thousand French families-esti-
mates run from two to seven-have
left their homes to settle in Italy.
They are all more or less well to do,
in most cases possessing fixed in
comes-which in future, while draw
ing them from France, they will spend
in Italy. The reason is no lack of
patriotism or love for Italy-it is
simply and purely because the French
franc Is worth two Italian lire and
they can live twice as comfortably on
the same income.
The majority of them are from the
southern departments and they have
not moved very farm some cases
only a matter of twenty miles or So
but the frontier is behind them, and
although prices are to soIne small ex-
tent higher than on the French side
of the boundary they are not enough
nearly to counterbalance the differ
tlte III tACluliSt.,
Many English Arriving.
This is only II example out of
many similar hegiras, which can only
be described as worldwide. While the
French are leaving France the English
are moving into it. In the old days
of the Nineteenth century hun
dreds of English families lived In
Calais, Boulogne, or Montreuil. In
many cases they were there to escape
their creditors at home as in the case
for instance of the famous Beau
Brummel, or the even more famous
Lady Hamilton, Nelson's friend. For
the rest there We're innumerabie half
pay officers and elderly people with
fixed, small incomes such as you may
read of in the pages of Thackeray or
Albert Smith.
This movement has nowadays re-
vived to a vastly greater degree. 1t
is no eXaggeration to say hat half
middle-class England is turning its
eyes toward France, where its money
win be worth double what ii is at
re, and where by a little manipula-
ton it is possible to escape the crush
ing weight of home taxation.
As one typical instance may be
mentioned an English ex-officer, men,
Der of a minor country family. Before
the war he had perhaps f2,000 a year
income, or $4,000. Considering taxa
ton and the cost of living, his in
come in England would now be re
duced to about 1850 a year, or $1,40O.
He no longer lives in England, but in
Paris. What is more, he has sold his
land and his securities in England
getting a high price for the former
when the land boom vas at its height.
His proceeds are invested in Belgium.
He escapes English taxes; he has no
income in France; he is, If a bad citi-
zen, almost as wealthy as he was
before the war, and his money Is
worth twice its home value.
Seeking Easier Life.
So far as England and France are
concerned it is not only the well-to-do
who are crossing the channel. Mil
lions of young men and tens of thou
sands of young learned during
the war as soldiers, w. A. A. C.'s or
w. Il. A. F.'s that life can be very
pleasant in France when there Is not
a val On. Now that Unemployment
has reached such desperate lengths in
England they are turning their steps
toward France.
Paris is full of young Englishwomeh
of the clerk and stenOgrapher class,
seeking employment in some English
or American firm established there. So
overstOcked is the market that warn
ings have been officially issued to dis
suade them-but they are coming still.
by the hundreds and the British con
sulate is kept busy with their woes.
SO, if you travel anywhere in France,
especially in the North, you will find
that it is peppered with young Eng
lishmen. mechanics and the like.
Many of them married French girls
during the war and came back as soon
as they were demolished others have
come over in the search of work they
cannot find at home and have STAYED
on. In many cases the plunge has jus.
titled itself there is little unemploy-
ulpDt I'm Franco and oItha1ub ,,,astne