The Man Farthest Down: A Record of Observation and Study in EuropeWashington, Booker T.
History
The Man Farthest Down: A Record of Observation and Study in Europe
Washington, Booker T.
Poor -- Europe; Working class -- Europe
At Fiume I had an opportunity to study at close range what I may call
the process of this emigration. I had, in other words, an opportunity
to see something, not merely of the manner in which the stream of
emigration, flowing out from the little inland villages, is collected
and cared for at Fiume until it pours into and is carried away in the
ships, but also to get a more definite idea of the motives and social
forces that are working together to bring about this vast migration of
the rural populations of southeastern Europe.
In no country in Europe, not even in Italy, has emigration been so
carefully studied, and in no country has more been done to direct and
control emigration than in Hungary. At the same time I think it is safe
to say that nowhere else has emigration brought so many changes in the
political and social life of the people. At one time, indeed, it seemed
as if Hungary proposed to make emigration a state monopoly. This was
when the Government, in granting to the Cunard Steamship Company a
monopoly of the emigrant business at Fiume, made a contract to furnish
that line at least 30,000 emigrants a year. At that time there were
between one hundred and two hundred thousand emigrants leaving Hungary
every year, most of whom were making the journey to America by way of
the German lines at Hamburg and Bremen.
It is said that the Hungarian Government, in order to turn the tide
of emigration in the direction of Fiume and swell the traffic at that
port, directed that all steamship tickets should be sold by Government
agents, who refused permission to emigrants to leave the country by
other than the Fiume route.
Since then, however, Hungary has, I understand, modified its contract
with the Cunard Company in such a manner that it does not appear as if
the Government had actually gone into the business of exporting its own
citizens, and, instead of attempting to direct emigration through Fiume
by something amounting almost to force, it has rather sought to invite
traffic by creating at this post model accommodations for emigrants.
As a matter of fact the Government has, as a rule, attempted to
discourage emigration rather than increase it. Where that was not
possible it has still tried to maintain its hold upon its citizens in
America; to keep alive their interest in their native land and make the
emigration, as far as possible, a temporary absence, in order that the
state should not suffer a permanent loss of its labouring population,
and in order, apparently, that the stream of gold which had poured into
the country as a result of this emigration might not cease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account