THE CAUSES OF IMMIGRATION II 
throughout the entire course of our history have come 
to this country influenced primarily by the economic 
motive. Even with the Palatines and the Scotch-Irish, 
the economic motive was often prominent. 
In the past a very large number of Russian Jews 
were refugees from persecution. A much smaller 
number of Finns, thwarted by the old Russian Govern 
ment in their attempts to secure or maintain political 
freedom, were moved to turn their backs upon their 
own country. From Roumania, Turkey and other 
parts of southeastern Europe and Asia have come 
other immigrants, such as the Armenians, who, suf 
fering on account of their religious or political beliefs, 
preferred to leave their home country for one which 
they believed would afford them freedom. In many 
instances, doubtless, these people are political idealists, 
or religious extremists, whose views will scarcely meet 
with approval in this country, but who nevertheless 
will be much freer here to make political propaganda, 
and whose views in many instances may well have an 
e ducative influence; but there doubtless remain, when 
they are taken individually, many persons who are 
really in need of escape from persecution, either relig 
ious or political, that is genuine and severe. 
At Present, Motive Primarily Economic 
Taking them, however, in the mass and comparing 
this number with the very much greater number of 
those who are influenced by the economic motive, it 
is scarcely too much to say that at the present time the 
influence which is bringing so large a number of immi 
grants is the economic motive rather than any other. 
Chaotic conditions in Europe, especially in Russia, 
have brought millions face to face with starvation.