VIII. DISTRIBUTION

IMMIGRATION AND DISTRIBUTION 1

JOHN E. MILHOLLAND, PUBLICIST

HE present conflict in the Old World finds comparison with the Napoleonic wars of a hundred years ago. But these wars were without any impressive effect upon our immigration. The tremendous upheaval throughout Europe subsequently, that culminated in the abortive German Revolution in 1848-1849, was not made conspicuous by the immensity, but the mentality and spiritual force of the exodus from Germany. It was the quality, not the quantity, of that immigration which, under the leadership of such men as Carl Schurz, attracted at that time so much attention.

Nor did subsequent conflicts, the Crimea, the war between Germany and Austria in 1866, nor the terrific Franco-Prussian War of 1870, impart any large impulse to emigration here. It was confined mostly to the Germans who came here to escape militarism, and this, with the natural birth increase, is the real explanation of our vast Teutonic citizenship, and also of its peace-loving anti-militarist tendency. Practically little came to us from France following the peace of Marseilles because almost every patriotic Frenchman threw himself into the task of rehabilitating his country. Just as the Belgians passionately declare they will do for Belgium.

The tremendous immigration of recent years from Russia was not due to the war with Japan but to that bad system of government which is at the base of Russia's troubles a government that tries to kill, imprison, or exile to Siberia those of its people who identify themselves with progressive expression — a veritable conspiracy against the rights of man. This is also true of the Turkish Empire which has driven to us the Syrians, the 1 From The American Hebrew, 1916.

Armenians, and other unfortunate peoples who cannot possibly live under such a régime. What else can they do but flee whenever they can from a place where life and property are not only without security, but with appalling frequency are ruthlessly destroyed?

It was not England's wars but England's misrule of Ireland through generations that caused half the Irish people to emigrate. Through the Land Bill, the County Councils, and various other Reform measures Ireland has at last come to enjoy practically Home Rule and what is the result? Irish immigration has dwindled precisely as that from England, Scotland, Holland, Belgium, France, and every other country that is governed with any degree of decency.

From being one of the worst-ruled countries Italy is rapidly becoming one of the best-governed nations in the world. In direct consequence our Italian immigration is seriously falling off. That will be the case ultimately with Russia, with Turkey, with every nation in the Old World as soon as each advances, because a well-governed nation spells opportunity just as much in Siberia or China as it does in Canada or the United States of America.

The immigration question is, perhaps, the most misunderstood of all that press upon us for solution. It is the one over which the American people seem to go into hysterics at irregular recurring intervals. Possessed now with the absurd notions that we are going to be overwhelmed by a tidal wave of foreigners after the war whereas there is more need for apprehension that none will come at alla condition of panic reigns among those who reason hastily or from insufficient data; and the various propositions that are seriously discussed to offset the imaginary impending evil would be farcical were they not attended by such dangerous possibilities in the way of such drastic legislation.

The solution of the immigrant problem is summed up in one word: Distribution; the solution of the emigration problem is summed up in two: Good Government. No other conclusion is possible from any scientific, comprehensive examination of the subject.

Why does California have a Japanese or a Chinese problem? Why is New York troubled with the thought of becoming a Jewish

community? Why is the south in terror over its Black Belts? Because distribution in none of these cases has had its perfect work. A horde of Chinese, mostly of the coolie type, came from Canton, Peking, and other big Chinese cities more than forty years ago. They were allowed to settle down and become congested in San Francisco, instead of being sent broadcast so as to make their Americanization rapid. The nation's digestive powers are tremendous, but the strongest stomach suffers indigestion in bolting food whole. This is true of the Japanese, true of the Russian, Galician, and Polish Jews, true of the Hungarians, as when the last named were taken by the thousands into the coal fields of Pennsylvania and other industrial states and encouraged by greedy short-sightedness to build up colonies of their own completely out of touch with their own institution.

For centuries, during the Middle Ages, the gain in population was so slight that there were less than fifty million people in Europe even in the twelfth century.

Let me go a bit further in this effort to quiet the nation's nerves. Italy, the last year before the war, sent us about 284,000 of her 34,000,000 people, but if every Italian, man, woman, and child, were taken into Texas to-morrow the Lone Star commonwealth would require the forty million of French people to give it as many people to the square mile as are now in Italy.

Then there is the wild talk about the "Yellow Peril" and the possibilities of Oriental populations, such as those of India, for example, becoming restless. Well, suppose they do. Suppose the 315,000,000 of people in India for that is according to the last reliable statistics I can find in the British official records

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move swiftly and land some night on our Pacific Coast. What would happen? Why, the nine Pacific Coast States could absorb them all without a single East Indian getting beyond the Rocky Mountains, and even then Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, and Wyoming could accommodate them all with just as much land as they have in India, and there could still be room for the multitude that are still following Horace Greeley's advice: "Go west, young man, go west!"

Why, old Missouri could swallow up all the people of Portugal, and find itself no more crowded than Portugal is at present, and

if 130,000,000 immigrants were to settle down in the South on the other side of the Mississippi the whole Southern section would not be half so thickly populated as Massachusetts is at this moment with a population of 3,666,000, and no end of deserted farms worthy of occupancy.

Why don't more immigrants go South? For the very reason that Irish immigrants and Polish immigrants come to the North; they don't like the lynchings, such as that last one in Texas. They have a feeling that life is not so secure as it should be, and that horrible affair in Georgia did more to keep immigrants away from that wonderful country than all the stump speeches that can be made in a year, to bring them there.

But right here let me say with profound satisfaction that the South is awakening to the importance of this and also to another matter popular education. Every candidate for Governor of Georgia this year is reported to have pledged himself, if elected, to put down lynching; and the splendid campaign started in Alabama to eliminate illiteracy in old and young will be a good example for the entire South and invite immigrants to the Southland. . . . We need the representatives of all nations to give effect to our wonderfully complex development and to the resources of our country.

Why, if Immigration Commissioner Howe should continue to receive at Ellis Island 1,000,000 immigrants annually and half of these should go to the Southern States he would be kept busy for the next hundred years trying to fill up Dixie, and, even then, the 10,000,000 colored people would have abundance of elbow room. The South can take care of 250,000,000 of people without feeling the strain of excessive population. The United States can take care of 500,000,000 and yet have room in abundance for baseball fields.

We need every decent immigrant that may come to us. We are losing precisely in proportion as the other new undeveloped or misgoverned countries of the world are being roused and reformed. The opening up of Siberia I have already mentioned. But think what it will mean to the Balkan regions, that have been sending us so many of late, when those big railway trunk lines are run through Mesopotamia and the Euphrates Valley to the Persian Gulf, and the old empires of Nineveh and Babylon are

being governed and cultivated and built up along the lines of modern science and experience! South American nations are just getting upon their financial feet; existing stable government is a recent story with them. But wait a few years and see what will happen in the way of enticing immigration to Argentine and Brazil, as well as through Central America, which has taken on a new meaning since the building of the Panama Canal.

The United States has, however, a tremendous advantage, because we have, beyond all our shortcomings, the best government on earth; because this country is simply another name for opportunity and the most free play of human powers. To the bold, adventurous spirits of the Old World, to noble natures that sicken under the weight of convention, restraint, and caste, we afford a chance for them to live up to the highest range of their abilities, and they have taken it. And they will take it, until their own home governments are fashioned after ours, and have become abiding as, for example, Switzerland and the French Republic.

The Immigration Bill now before the Senate is an anachronism. It is out of place, out of time. Within twenty-five years we will be advertising for immigrants just as some States and Territories are doing now.

I refrain from discussing a single feature of the measure, the absurd literacy test or anything else. It is bad in toto; it belongs to the Congressional slag heap.