Seravtoi» Wochenblatt.
Ure» «. «-«»er. Herausgeber
410 kpru« Straße, Vierter Sil»'
Z»isch>» Wyoming >m» vj»sb>ng>on 0«.,
r,iita»ai>n<> Si»i», «ft giöh» a>« t,
»I»sch » .i«Nu»g. bxllt »» >« »
Donners'atl, 1!i Dezember 19l 7
Niedergang eine« Millionärs.
«alter Scott, nun. es ist nicht
de berühmte englische Erzählungs-
Dichler hier gemeint, sondern ein her
nntergelommener amerikanischer Mil
lionär. Dieser Walter Scott wurde
zuerst als Entdecker eines angeblich
sehr reichen im kalifor
nischen Todestal bekannt, und im
Volke hieß man ihn den »Death Val
ley Scott."
Noch berühmter wurde e: aber
durch seine Geld - Verschwendung.
Als er z. B. im Jahre 1905 sich ent
schloß, nach Osten zu gehen, mietete
er von der Santa Fe-Bahn einen
Eonderzug für P 5500 und bewältigte
damit die 2265 Meilen von der En
t«lstadt bis nach Chicago in 43 Stun
' den und 55 Minuten.
Gar manche sind auf der Gold
suche seinen Spuren erfolglos in der
Wüste nachgegangen. Verschiedene
Male haben Kapitalisten ergebnislos
dersucht, seine .Mine" zu ermitteln.
ISI2 wurde gemeldet, daß er die Mi
ne für eine Million Dollars verlauft
habe. Später kam man zu der Ueber
zeugung, daß die Mine niemals exi
pierte, doch da» Geld war da,
und Scotty warf es mit vollen Hän
den auS!"
Sacramento und macht einen recht
Kuten Taglöhner. Er triegt P 2.25
Pro Tag.
AeltesteS Museum.
Das älteste Museum der Welt
wurde zu Nara in Japan im Jahre
756 gegründet. Es enthält neben
»iner wertvollen mineralogischen und
einer reichhaltigen Pflanzensamm
lung Proben aller einheimischen Holz
arten und 3iXX> kunstgewerbliche Ge
genstände. Darunter befinden sich
die kunstvollsten Lackkästchen und
Lacktabletts, Möbel, Emailwaren,
Porzellan, Stosse und Bronzen. Das
Museum ist jedoch nicht sür die Oes
sentlichleit bestimmt, vielmehr ist die
Erlaubnis zu seiner Besichtigung
nur schwer zu erlangen. Aussicht
Gesuch nur im beginnenden Früh
jahr, weil alljährlich zu dieser Zeit
die Sammlung durch eine besondere
Kommission inspiziert wird, die sich
»on der Anwesenheit sämtlicher
Kunstschätze, sowie von deren tadel
losem Zustande mit peinlicher Ge
nauigkeit überzeugen muß.
Die Stadt, die dieses kostbare Mu
slim beherbergt, war ehemals die kai
serliche Hauptstadt Japans, bevor
Kyoto an ihrer Stelle diesen Rang
erhielt. In der Kunstgeschichte die
nach den Ausführungen des Barons
Suematsu in dem von Japanern ver
satzten Buche .Unser Vaterland Ja
pan" den hervorragendsten Platz ein.
Mit Stolz weist er darauf hin, daß
europäische Sachverständige bei
sprüche von Europäern, die über sein
Vaterland und dessen Geschichte ge
schrieben haben und sich darüber einig
1000 Jahren auf einer außerordent?
lich hohen Stufe stand.
An das alte bekannte,
hochklingende «Lied vom brave»
Mann" erinnerte eine Rcttungstat,
der die 4!, Jahre alte Frau Marga
ret Reih von New Nork, die am
Fuß der 31. Str. in den East River
gefallen war, ihr Leben verdankt.
wurde dann mit ihr zusammen nach
dem Bellevue - Hospital geschasst.
Die Fragen nach seinem Rainen
Anstalt.
Jahres findet die Darstellung des
sondere Tänze und Masten gefeiert.
Einen halben Tag dauert dies My
sterienspiel, dem der Dalai-Lama mit
In ihrem mit Leuchtgas
angefüllten Schlafzimmer in Tacoma,
Wash., wurde Frau Grace Tain,
Gattin des Herausgebers des Fach
blattes »West Coast Lumberman", W.
L. Cain, als Leiche gefunden. Türen
und Fenster des Zimmers waren fest
verschlossen und die Gasleitung weit
geöffnet. Die Frau hatte Selbstmord
Verleide». „Besuchen Sie
noch imiiier spiritistische Versamm
lungen?"
.Rein. jetzt nichl niehr. Das letzte
Mal haben sie mich in der
heit braun und blau geschlagen, und
dann sagten sie, das wären die
Klopsgeister gewesen.'
Offener Schreibet»rief de»
Ptzitipp K«uera«pser.
«».
Mein lieber Herr Redacktionär:
Wie mehr widdetz
bei den Wedeswei«
«)ler beifamme ge«
sosst hen, da hat e»
gesagt: ,Na seh
Philipp, wenn ich
auch sage muß, daß
sM ich deine Stori«
v gleiche u,
daß ich gar nit er«
is mei Vißnes. Ich kann nit erfor,
den, die halbe Nacht den Schopp auf»
zulasse, die Expenses for Hiet und
Licht zu spende uN dafor nicks einzu
nemme. Wei der Bierlollekter hat
mich schon e paar mal gefragt, wa»
die Mütter mit mein Tscheunt war,
ich deht ja gar kein Bier mehr orderez
das kommt awwer davon her, daß t»i«
Kostiemersch nicks annerschter duha,
als wie dich zuhöre un dabei da»
Bierdrinke ganz vergesse. Du muß
auch e wenig an mich denke un es wär
ganz gut for Bierdrinke juhse könnt"»
Well, ich hen ja den Wedesweiler
nit so arig blehme lönne un es IS ja
auch e Fäckt, daß die mehrschte ooa
die Feger noch keine zehn Zents ge,
spend hen. Ich hen ihn geprammißt,
daß ich sein Ettweis nemme wollt u»
Ich se gesagt: .Nau Beu»,
tie! .Is der Triet an dich?" hat er
sollt so keine suhlische Kwetschen»
dann deht ich doch kein annere for de»
zahle lasse. Ich weiß awwer gut ge
nug, daß er nur die annere ihre Eten»
fchen drauf hat rufe wolle, daß ich
dafor bezahle un daß se sich for den
Riesen ebbes diesentes hen ordere
dahn. Biekahs der Wiskey is jetzt
so eckspensies, hat sich jeder en Schalt
geordert und der Wedesweiler duht
for jeden Drink zwanzig Cent»
tschartsche. Well, ei schütt wurrie.
Auf den Wiskey hen mer noch e Bier»
will, duht er instett »on die alte be
liebte Schluhnersch nur noch Schell»
gewwe. Dann Ware mer in en gute
Juhmer un ich hen mit meine Sto
rie bei allgemeine Riekwest gestart.
Abrobbe wolle. Der Bahs hat ge
sagt: .Philipp, so weit hast du eS
gut gemacht." Ich hen dann e gro-
Haar getrickelt. Ich hen emal das
Tauel e wenig gelupft un F-llersch,
ich sin ganz duinmfaundet gewese: de»
bahl odder en recht fauwer gewasche
ner Porzellandeller! Ich fki ganz
schrecklich geschtehrt gewese! Awwer ich
hen auch en Ecksjuhs gefunne. Wie
der Bahs in das Luckingläs geguckt
hat, da hat er en schreckliche Krisch
ausgestohe un is mich mit e Rehser
in die Hand mchgelaufe. Ich hen
schuhr gedenkt, daß mich der barbari
sche Barber tille deht un da is mich
zum Glück meine Ecksjuhs eingefalle.
Ich hen gesagt, Bahs, duhn S«
mal das Rehser aus die H nd un
gewwe Se mich emal for e Minnit
das Wort. Er hat sich ganz aus
gepleht auf en Stuhl falle lasse un
ich hen gesagt: Ich hen das Mittel
diesend austrete wolle un da hen ich
doch zuerst Ihne Ihre Haar fort
schaffe müsse, sonst kann mer doch kein
Pruhf gewwe. Jetzt triet ich Ihne mit
fühlt. In die Zwischenzeit is e gan
ze Latt Kostiemersch in den Schopp
komme un was hen die gelacht, wie se
sehn hen! Er hat sie die ganze Ge
schicht verzählt un da hen se all ih
ren Meind aufgemacht, daß se die Te
sche wollte. Mitaus duß es jemand
genohtißt hat, hen ich e Battel echtes
Tannick geschweipt gehabt un hen da»
hat Anklang gefunne un der Wedes
weile hat mich zugewischperl: Phil,
du bist e Pietsch, womit ich verblei»
we Ihne Jhrn liewer
Philipp Saueramps»». Immigration may
turn to Europe.
By RICHARDBARRY
(Issues And Events.)
Millions of foreign-born Amer
icans, representing almost every
nationality of Europe, are plan
ning togo back to the lands of
their birth as soon as peace is
declared. They are, as it were,
straining at the barrier, waiting
for the flag of peace to drop,
whereupon will occur such an
exodus from these shores as has
never occurred before in our
history.
So many inquiries about
transportation abroad have been
pouring into the steamship and
railway offices during the past
few months that a census was
recently taken, unofficially, by
these offices, with the resulting
revelation that approximately
1,000,000 foreign-born persons
now on American soil are plan
ning to return home. Commis
sioner of Immigration Frederic
C. Howe says that he is of the
opinion that, on a most con
servative estimate, at least 2,-
000,000 people will return to
Europe the first year after the
war if they can secure accomo
dation. Other immigration of
ficials have said, privately, that
they would not -be surprised to
see 3,000,000, 4,000,000 or even
5,000,000 go back. As the aver
age emigration out of America
for years previous to 1914 was
between 300,000 and 400,000
(about one-fourth of the aver
age immigration), this country
has' looming before it an as
tonishing phenomenon.
For centuries the flow ot peo
ples has been westward. The
emigration of the tribes, from
the dawn of our era, has been
toward the setting sun. Is the
close of the great war to mark
the end of this era in history?'
Has man at last looked his fill
on the lands of the West? And
is migration now to take its
flow, for the first time since the
discovery of America, toward
the rising sun? And if so,
why?
The question was put to Mr.
Howe by the New York Times.
"Yes," he said, "we are, it
seems to me, on the threshold
of a vast change. It is idle to
think our immigration problem
will continue as it has been.
Unless all signs are wrong and
oyr Government, national as
well as State, institutes drastic
measures, we may see almost a
complete reversal of conditions.
To put it slangily, we will have
to take the "i* out of immi b . „-
tion and replace it with an 'e'."
The commissioner spoke from
his well-placed office on Ellis
Island. The old atmosphere of
the island ip gone. The days
when the ways swarmed with
picturesque alien peasants, bab
bling in variegated tongues a
Babel of elation, confusion and
anxiety, all incident to a monu
mental hegira, are no more. The
inclosures are now empty. El
lis Island is marking time.
"But," I remonstrated, "sure
ly there will be a resumption of
immigration after the war.
Surely millions will flee from
war-ridden Europa for asylum
in America. I should think the
first year after the war would
be the greatest year of immigra
tion in our history."
"No," replied Mr. Howe, "I
think not. At least the net im
migration is not likely to be
very large; that is, .if you sub
tract those going from those
coming.'
"What reasons have you for
thinking so many are going
back ?"
"First, a census taken by rail
road and steamship companies,
showing that at least 1,000,000
of our foreign-born are planning
togo to Europe the moment
peace is declared. Second, the
reports of a large number of
employers in Western cities that
there seems to be a concerted
movement to induce Hungar
ians, Austrians and other Cen
tral European peoples to return
to their native land. Third, bank
ers in the coal and industrial
regions report that Poles, Ital
ians and Russians in very large
numbers are saving money and
making preparations for return.
Fourth, my study of European
agricultural conditions as con
trasted with those in the Unit
ed States. This last is my basic
reason, though the symptoms
are well indicated by the
others."
"How do you explain this po
tential exodus?"
"I will catalogue the reasons,
beginning with the unimportant
First, tlieV desire to see friends
i relatives. We have 15,-
000,000 foreign-born persons in
the United States, and for over
threi years these 15,000,000 have
had little or no communication
with their relations on the other
side. Had communication been
uninterrupted they might have
been content to remain, would
doubtless have followed the na
tural law and written back such
tidings as would have lured
others here. But, lacking com
munication, they remain restless
and dissatisfied, and the imagi
nation always conjures up the
worst. This, combined with the
conditions they face here, is a
compelling motive.
"Second, the quest for family
property and possessions. Hun
dreds of thousands, perhaps mil
lions, have lost relatives in the
war. Many came to this coun
try because of unsatfslactory
division of property in the old
countries. Now they will re
turn in the hope of getting what
will be to them a more equitable
division. Death and change have
wiped out many an old score,
tightened many a homesick
heart.
"Third, there is a general ex
pectation, among the Russians
especially, and also among the
Poles, Hungarians and residents
of the Balkan States, that land
will be cheap in their countries
after the war. Russia, of course,
has a new deal, and many Rus
sians are eager to get back
quickly and profit by the change.
Others are planning to profit
out of the bankruptcy of feudal
proprietors in Poland and Hun
gary, as well as out of the de
vastation of the country.
"Fourth, every country in
Europe is working out an organ
ized plan to foster this very
movement which I am forecast
ing. In every country, from
Ireland to the Black Sea, the
days of absentee landlordism
and of vast uncultivated estates,
no matter who owns them, are
• probably over. Every European
government is awake to this con
dition.
Fifth, many, perhaps a ma
jority, will leave America be
cause of industrial conditions.
It has been said that the Texan
hates the Slovak and the North
erner hates the 'greaser'; but to
both it is America who has not
welcomed them.
"Sixth, the increasing difficul
ty, and, in many cases, the prac
tical inability, of the immigrant
to acquire permanent homes.
The country districts and vil
lages of Central and Southern
Europe have supplied the bulk
of our immigration for the last
decade. These Slavs, Latins
and Teutons are essentially
home-loving. They came here
after having been told that this
was the paradise for the home
lover; that in the United States
| every man could easily acquire
a home, which, in a former gen
| eration, was true, but not now.
! So they are going back where
! they think they can get homes."
"Granting that all this is
I true," I cut in, "won't there be
! even more millions anxious to
| flee to America from the impov
erished and devastated lands?"
"It is not likely," replied Mr.
: Howe. "In the first place,
European governments are go
ing to place restrictions on emi
gration. Every government will
need every able-bodied human
being at home. Moreover, it is
universally predicted that the
end of this war will see a swift
rising tide of legislation along
socialistic lines. That may mean
a distribution of lands.
| "Already in the height of the
war, in the shock of the desper
ate conflict, when it would seem
that thought is given to nothing
but militarism, commissions are
working everywhere on this pro
blem.
"Take England, for instance.
A commission has been appoint
ed to investigate ways and
means for providing land for in
valided soldiers, and this is ex
pected to be the basis for legis
lation immediately after tbe war
to provide land for returned
soldiers.
"What Germany is going to
do can only be guessed at. But
we may be positive that Ger
many will not lose a day or a
chance. We may have some idea
of what that country will do if
we remember that her enlighten
ed policies previous to the war
were such that the average im
migration into Germany for a
number of years before 1914 was
800,000 per annum. We know
that already Germany is breaK
ing up her large landed estates;
that notice has been served on
the titled and landed proprietor.
"Ireland is the bright star : n
the dark night of Europe. Irish
immigration to the United
States has been cut in hali in
the past three years. We got I
33,898 from Ireland in 1914 and
17,462 in 1917. I believe that,
in the generation that is dawn
ing, Ireland will show Europe
and the world the way. Her in
dividual sons have led the world
in the past century; in the com
ing generation they are going
to develop the Irish soil. Many
thousands, perhaps hundreds of
thousands, of Irish people may
return to the motherland direct
ly peace is declaj-ed. Once the
change in conditions there is
known the Irish' will flock back
in a resistless tide.
"In Scotland the English Gov
ernment is considering breaking
up the great estates into small
holdings to be sold to returning
soldiers on easy terms of pay
ment. Besides, a whole new
scheme of land taxation is being
considered with the primary pur
pose, not of increased revenue,
but of ending speculation in
land and opening it to use.
"Canada is working on colony
projects in the Northwest, while
Australia and New Zealand have
already outstripped the world in
offering inducements to settlers.
Recently, in Congress, Senator
Sheppard, of Texas, who has in
troduced a bill providing for an
investigation of this problem,
said that the lead in this sort of
legislation for humanity ha'J
been taken by New Zealand.
There all personalty, live stock
and improvements are exempt
ed from taxation. The mort
gagee must pay a tax on his
mortgage as if it were land,
and is prohibited from charg
ing it to the mortgagor. About
six-sevenths of the farm home
owners of New Zealand pay no
tax at all. Australia, too, has
introduced the land tax to break
up land speculation and idle
land holding.
"All the States of Australia
have worked out colonization
schemes, with the prime object
of breaking up big estates and
placing on them many small
farmers, not as tenants but as
owners or prospective owners.
The State of Victoria, for in
stance, offers a wonderful in
ducement to the settler. It
builds him a home, places there
in furniture and essential work
ing machinery, gives him six
head of cattle and a specified
amount of live stock besides,*
and hands all over to him, with
enough acreage for one man to
work without help, with very
little payment down and an
easily graduated scheme of par
tial payments by which he be
comes the proprietor indue
time, but with provisions made
for forfeiture and lapses, so that
it is practically impossible for a
fairly Jhrifty man to lose his in
vestment.
"Cofitrast with this the Amer
ican scheme which spends large
sums—like the $8,000,000 re
clamation project on the Yuma
desert—but which gives no
thought to the essential creSfure
comforts of the man who must
work the land."
"How can America meet this
foreign competition?"
"There are several ways, some
of which have been suggested
and some of which are being
developed. At the present time
I can no more than diagnose
the condition and point out the
undisputed facts. Take, for in
stance, the migration recently oi
hundreds of thousands of ne
groes from the South to North
ern cities. This would not have
occurred if better chances exist
ed in the South for negroes to
become owners. They are not
prohibited, it is true, under the
law, and many negroes do own
homes, but the crying need is
for State encouragement.
' "California, which is inclin
ed to lead the nation in remedial
legislation of this sort, has re
cently appropriated $250,000 for
the purpose of buying land for
subdivision into small holdings.
It is a small sum, comparatively,
and in the nature of an experi
ment, but it will point the way.
It is in line with the teachings
of Ireland and Australia.
"The problem is for all Amer
ica. Farm labor has had severai
severe blows. The draft has
hurt it. The rising wage market
in the cities inevitably hurts it.
The immigration shortage has
hurt it. Now if we add to that,
at the close of the war, an emi
gration away from the land and
back to Europe, conditions here
will become unendurable. There
will be a serious decay in farm
ing, which means, in a very de
finite sense, a decay in our na
tional life, too.
"We do not do enough for the
farmer here in America. Europe
is going to meet us in compe
tition for him and bid him away
from us after the war. That is
the situation in a nutshell.
"See what they do for the
farmer in Australia. Germany
began a similar scheme before
the war and is said to have al
most perfected it during the
war. It consists in eliminating
tbe middleman. The Australian
farmer, as today the German,
has an agent who handles hit
business and gives him all the
returns, less a commission,
which is State regulated. Specu
lation is practically eliminated.
Middleman profits are eliminat
ed. We give our farmers free
seeds; Australia gives them free
homes. We abandon ours to
the transportation wolves; Ger
many handles the farmer's trans
port for him, at cost. We offer
public land for homesteading
after the desirable land is all
gone; Ireland commandeers its
best land, long fallow under ab
sentees, and splits it up among
small farmers.
"In the United States today
more than 400,000,000 acres of
land, ostehsibly in farms, is not
under cultivation, while 200,-
000,000 acres, one-quarter of our
total agricultural area, is in
great estates, principally in the
West and South, some many
hundreds of thousands of acres
in extent. Land speculation has
frozen out the small farmer
without capital. And land spe
culation can best be met by tax
ation, as is being done in Cana
da. We hear of the old grinding
conditions in Russia and Ire
land where the tenant farmer
groaned under his burden. Amer
ica is the Russia and the Ire
land of the future in this re
spect.
"The people, and especially
our new immigrants, are land
hungry, but they cannot be fed.
THey are thwarted by land mo
nopoly, by land speculation and
by promotion companies which
make it almost impossible for a
man to establish himself as a
farmer if he has no capital.
"Europe has a farseeing eye
on these millions. It proposes
to make a bid for them. It will
offer the prize of homestead to
tfye small settler. It will ruth
lessly eliminate the profiteer
and the speculator, the land hog
and the land baron. Meanwhile,
America stands alone as prac
tically the only country which
is not considering the reclama
tion of agriculture in a con
structive, intelligent way.
"America exhorts the farmer
and educates Uim, but it will
(lave to do more than that for
him if he wants to keep him.
We have land in abundance. We
have foreign-born
people, many of them peasants,
eager for land. Yet conditions
are such that they are now look
ing anxiously to war-scarred
Europe to acquire a home."