OLD HOMES OF NEW AMERICANS

Francis E Clark, (1873) (Houghton, Mifflin Co.)

A timely book is Francis E. Clark's Old Homes of New Americans, issued a few months ago. In this volume Dr. Clark gives us an interesting account of the many peoples comprising the dual monarchy of Austria Hungary. In his introduction the author states that his purpose in writing this book is to arouse sympathy for and interest in our fellow neighbors and to tell us something about their old homes. When we realize that the year ending June, 1912, 178,882 emigrants came to the United States from this monarchy, we see the necessity of knowing more about these peoples and their customs. In this number were 27,000 Magyars and in this same year 26,000 Magyars returned to their native land. We can scarcely realize the influence these Americanized Magyars will have among their fellows in the fatherland. Dr. Clark goes on to explain the nature of the dual monarchy, whose ruler must be. a Roman Catholic. We learn that Hungary, "the land of the free and the brave", is not a province of Austria, but a distinct and separate kingdom, and that in 1896 Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria, was crowned King of Hungary and since that date the two nations have been on an equal footing. Hungary, called by Dr. Clark "the America of the old world", is a comparatively compact and homogeneous country, while Austria is composed of many different and diverse peoples. We learn about Bohemia, Moravia, and the Poles of Austria, most of whom live in Galicia, the largest of the Austrian provinces. Of the Ruthenians, mainly found in Galicia, we learn that there are 30,000,000 in the world, scattered through Russia, Austria, and Hungary. The first Ruthenian came to this country in 1878, but since 1907 an average of 25,000 per year have been coming to American shores. The author gives us a passing glimpse of Dalmatia and its rugged, beautiful scenery; of Bosnia; of Herzegonina; of the Croats in Crotia and in America; of the Slovenians from southwestern Austria, of whom one in every fifteen lives in the United States; of the Slovaks, of whom 600,000 live in America, and who send home yearly $15,000,000. We get a view of the Bukowina and of Transylvania, "the Switzerland of southeast Europe".

At this time when we are hearing so much about these peoples, many of whose names are almost unknown to us, or at least do not signify much, this book which gives us a fleeting view of these peoples is well worth a perusal.