I may add in this connection that some foreign journals have made the
statement that the Governments of Austria-Hungary and Germany have recently
issued orders prohibiting Russian emigrants from crossing their frontiers. I
have no positive information of the fact. However, our legations at Vienna
and Berlin have doubtless advised the Department concerning it.
[Inclosure in No.
224.—Translation.]
From the Journal de St. Petersburg of July 10–22,
1892.
The Journal of the Ministry of Finance publishes interesting information
relating to the movement of Russian immigration to America.
Fifteen years ago, the number of these immigrants was only a few
thousands (from 3,000 to 8,000) a year. In 1885, this figure rose
already to 19,000, and from that time the immigration movement from
Poland, Finland, and Western Russia took definitive form. The steamers
of Bremen, Hamburg, and other German ports transported from European
Russia to America in 1886, 33,783 persons; in 1887, 29,559; in 1888,
39,629; in 1889, 36,307; in 1890, 85,548, and in 1891, 109,515 persons.
Another stream of emigration from Russia flows by way of Antwerp,
Rotterdam, Amsterdam, as also by French and English ports, but it is
much less important than the first.
The total number of Russian emigrants last year was as high as about
120,000 individuals. The great mass proceeds to the United States of
North America; but since 1890 Brazil and the Argentine Republic exercise
also a force of attraction on tens of thousands of Poles and Russian
Jews.
The Governments of the South American Republics make great efforts to
attract European emigration. They assume the expense of the journey, pay
premiums to societies of navigation and emigrant agents. Thus many of
these intermediaries act without scruple in their endeavors to attract
peasants by all sorts of fine promises, which mostly, it is but too well
known, remain far from realization.
Since the Jews are no longer able to spread themselves in the interior of
Russia, when formerly they penetrated easily, they have been obliged to
turn to the west, but the countries of the west of Europe refusing to
receive them, they seek fortune in the New World.
It is thought that in 1890 America received as many as 40,000 Russian
Jews, which figure in 1891 rose probably to 60,000. As regards the
Polish emigrants, they generally go to America only to sojourn a certain
number of years. They do not lose sight of their families remaining in
the country, and they send to them frequently money earned in America.
Their salaries are considerable, as proved by the amount sent to their
relatives.
According to information gathered by the office of the governor-general
of Warsaw, and which reports for only five months (from December 5,
1890, to May 15, 1891), it is shown that in three frontier provinces
alone the sum of 240,000 rubles was received from North America. In the
provinces of the Kingdom of Poland the daily salary of a field laborer,
an adult, has fallen to 40 copeks, without food; that of a woman to 25
copeks, even during the period of agricultural work. The rest of the
year this salary is not beyond 30 and 15 copeks. The reason is that the
supply exceeds the demand. Poland is the most densely populated of any
part of the
[Page 393]
Empire; 80
inhabitants are counted to the square verst and the entire population
already reaches nearly 9,000,000 of inhabitants.
Nevertheless every year there is a notable increase of the population. It
is but the excess that emigrates. For this reason, in the opinion of our
colleague, there is no occasion to place obstacles in the way of
emigration, although it may be desirable that a portion of this excess
should be directed towards the open countries of Asiatic Russia and
especially along the Trans-Siberian railway now under construction.
At the same time there is a fascination in the emigration movement going
on in our western provinces. In Lithuania, notably, peasants, free,
possessing lots of land of 30 deciatines (2¼ acres to the deciatine) of
excellent quality, have been seen to abandon all to go to America.
