To Find a Future

The U.S. might be worrying itself fretful over the high prices; it might be peevish over strikes or jittery about Communists. But the millions of Europe's war-ravaged continent had a more realistic view: America was still the great land of promise. In Greece, the U.S. embassy had enough applications to fill the immigration quota (307 a year) for 99 years.

Officials estimated that 14,000,000 Italians would emigrate to the U.S. if they could. In Portugal, the wait was ten years, in Ireland eight, in Austria three, in Palestine two or more.

A few were lucky. Last week Mr. & Mrs. Sybrand van der Dussen arrived in New York with their eleven children. Sturdy Dutch burghers from Rotterdam, they had a somewhat unnerving time at LaGuardia Airport. They were surrounded by newsmen, and two-year-old Jacobus almost got tangled in a huge electric fan. They were bound for Los Angeles and a brother-in-law's dairy farm--"to find a good future for the children." A newsman asked Mrs. van der Dussen if such a future could not be found in Europe? The stout Dutch woman shrugged, moved her hand in an impatient gesture--how could she explain a self-evident fact to these fortunate, blissfully ignorant Americans?

"Ach, nee," she said finally.

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