Evening star., 1923-03-02
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS.

Much is said about the danger Of
introducing socialism through the In
coming immigrants from Europe.
That Is one OF the busbears Haunted
to frighten away the movement
among employers for tho encouraging g
Of unskilled labor. II there is rea-
son for that fear, what is the ex-
planation of the fact that states
which have the greatest percentage
OF foreign-born whites over twenty
one years Of age do not cast the
largest socialistic votes at elections
v X y u
Wisconsin ranks first In Its social
ism, as measured by votes at the last
presidential election. 1t has 2S.4 per
cast 12.1 per cent of its votes for the
socialist ticket.
New Hampshire has 292 per cent of
foreign-born. and vote only 0.s per
per cent socialistic; Rhode Island s
population is 42.s per cent foreign
| born and only &c per cent socialistic.
| New Jersey has II per cent foreign
born and only 3 per cent Socialistic-
| Pennsylvania has 25.3 per cent for
eign-born and only 3.e per cent social
istic.
Native Americans are ambitious to
rise above unskilled labor; they learn
! trades. Europeans follow the ex-
ample OF Americans after a few years,
but when they arrive as Immigrants
! they are content to do the rough
work. for the pay is better than
skilled labor gets in their home
land. 1t is argued that unless We
permit unskilled Immigrants TO enter
/ the rough work, which requires no
skill, will have to be done by our
skilled workmen, at wages out OF
proportion to the value OF the work.
| 4 y + y
| There Is one class Of un-Americans
which fnds little sympathy either in
| labor circles or among employers. II
/ Is illustrated by the case of Tony
Bovo. an italian who came to the
United States thirty-two years ago
He is a boiiermaker and, in Youngs-
| town, Ohio. he has prospered. built a
home. reared family and established
himself-in thirty-two years. That
is almost equal to the average gen.
| Grafton. yet. though he is the father
| of two sons born in America. he has
| never learned to speak or write forty
| words of the United States language
| Last summer he and his family re.
| turned to Italy for a visit, as q
wealthy American" and now he Is
held up at Ellis Island as an imrni-
| grant, unable to take the literacy
| test
There may be reasons why the lit.
eracy test is unreliable and faulty
\ but there can be no debate oven
the undesirability OF foreigner who
continues TO despise his adopted coun.
| try so much that in thirty-two years
1 he refuses to- learn It's language o,
| apply for citizenship papers. America
| to be robbed. II his aiienship is sc
deepset as II appears We have nc
! room for him.
! IS
The main objection to admitting
| orientals is their inability to affiliate
| with US. yet there are other races
! equally clannish. In the mining
regions it has been discovered thai
from SO to ss per cent Of the aliens
never ask for Americanization. They
are still subject to Austria, Bulgaria
| Greece. Hungary, Rumania or Poland
The same IL true in the packing
| plants Of Chicago and the cotton
| mills of New England.
These men are not socialists. but
neither are they Americans. with a
| feeling Of sympathy for our institu-