Immersion

Collier's New Encyclopedia (1921)

in astronomy, the disappearance of a celestial body by passing behind or into the shadow of another; it is opposed to emersion. The occultation of a star is immersion of the first kind; the eclipse of a satellite, immersion of the second kind. IMMIGRATION. For ages there has been a tendency on the part of the world population to move westward. After the population of a certain country rises above a certain density, there is always a certain portion of the people who are ready to set out to seek new homes. This percentage is always the most energetic and adventurous, possessed of that vitality which translates discontent into action. Of such is constituted the population of North America, and especially of the United States. In the very early colonial days the immigrants were usually refugees from religious persecution, who came to the new country for freedom to hold their own beliefs. Among these were not only the English-speaking peoples, but French, Swedish, German and other northern nationalities. The Germans were especially numerous during the fifties of last century, for after the revolutionary disturbances in Germany in 1848 thousands of Germans were obliged to flee. This was the character, racially speaking, of the immigration to this country until about 1900. Their motive for coming was largely economic: to acquire more land. Most of these immigrants were of the peasant class, and the vast tracts of unsettled land in this country attracted them. But during the last ten years of last century practically all the desirable land in the country had been appropriated. The hardy stock of the northern countries of Europe was no longer attracted. Immigration from those countries fell off. By this time our industries were developing, and these, with their comparatively high wages, began to attract a new class of immigrants. Manufacturers sent agents abroad to encourage or even to contract for the coming over of large numbers of workers who were willing to work at the lowest of wages. These were to be found in southern Europe, especially in Italy, for here the people had a very low standard of living. Eventually this stimulation of immigration by manufacturers seeking cheap labor was stopped by legislation, but the stream had been started, and continued. In 1914 the chief elements coming over were Italians (270,414), Poles (122,657), and Hebrews (138,051). In that year there were 15,000,000 foreign born persons in the United States. In the big industrial centers, like Pittburgh, Buffalo, Detroit, Cincinnati, the percentage of foreign born in the population averaged as high as 75 per cent. The effect of the war on this stream of immigration is shown by comparing the following figures, representing the numbers of immigrants during the war year, with the average of 1,200,000 a year before the war: 1915......326,700 1918......110,618 1916.298,826 1919......141,132 1917. 295,403 Nor has this been all clear gain, as illustrated by the fact that in 1919, while 141,131 arrived, 123,522 foreign born persons departed for their native countries. In 1921 measures were introduced into both houses of Congress to restrict or regulate immigration. It was alleged that great numbers of persons in Central Europe were eager to emigrate to the United States when conditions permitted. ceremony used