northern neighbor, is a prosperous colony of 5,371,315,
according to her latest census. We could almost have peopled Canada
entire with as large a population out of the immigration of the decade
1880-1890. More than that, the whole population of Scotland, or that of
Ireland, above four and a quarter millions, could have moved over to
America, and it would only have equaled the actual immigration since
1900. If the whole of Wales were to come over, the 1,700,000 odd of them
would not have equaled by 100,000 the total immigration of the two years
1904-05. If all Sweden and Norway packed up and left the question of one
or two kingdoms to settle itself, the 7,300,000 sturdy Scandinavians
would fall short of the immigrant host that has come in from
everywhither since 1891. More people than the entire population of
Switzerland (3,315,000) have landed in America within four years. If
only the majority of these aliens had possessed the love of liberty and
the characteristic virtues of the Protestant Swiss, our problem would be
very different. These comparisons strongly impress the responsibility
and burden imposed upon America by practically free and wide-open gates.

[Sidenote: The Problem of Assimilation]

Here are the totals which we have now reached. Of the 23,000,000 aliens
who have come into America since the Revolution, the last census (1900)
gave the number then living at 10,256,664. A census taken to-day would
doubtless show about 14,000,000. Add the children of foreign parentage
and it would bring the total up to between 35,000,000 and 40,000,000.
Mr. Sargent estimates this total at forty-six per cent. of our entire
population. The immigration problem presents nothing less than the
assimilation of this vast mass of humanity. No wonder thoughtful
Americans stand aghast before it. At the same time, the only thing to
fear is failure to understand the situation and meet it. As Professor
Boyesen says: "The amazing thing in Americans is their utter
indifference or supine optimism. 'Don't you worry, old fellow,' said a
very intelligent professional man to me recently, when I told him of my
observations during a visit to Castle Garden.[5] 'What does it matter
whether a hundred thousand more or less arrive? Even if a million
arrived annually, or two millions, I guess we could take care of them.
Why, this country is capable of supporting a population of two hundred
millions without being half so densely populated as Belgium. On