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in the days of their early manhood, soon become voters, and remain a permanent factor, especially in our large cities, in determining the results of our elections. In most States there is no literacy test for the suffrage. An immigrant who is illiterate is likely to be much slower in securing accurate information regarding the political institutions and political questions on which he may be called to vote, than one who can readily secure such information from books and papers. So large a number of periodicals are published in various foreign tongues that it is by no means essential that the immigrant read English. If, however, he can read no language but must depend upon chance conversation and public discussion for his political ideas, he is certainly greatly handicapped as compared with his literate brother.

At the time they are admitted into the United States as immigrants, the percentage of illiteracy among the races composing the new immigration is much greater than that among the old, the difference being that between 35.8 per cent. and 2.7 per cent., as shown in the following tables.

The larger table on page 35, containing a list of the races or peoples and the degree of illiteracy among the immigrants admitted in the years 1899-1909, shows in a very striking manner the differences among the various immigrant races in this respect.

Looking at the question in the large, too great emphasis ought not to be laid upon the question of illiteracy, since, as has already been said, this disadvantage in most cases disappears in the second generation. If, however, the question of discrimination between races or nationalities is to be considered at all, beyond doubt illiteracy is one factor that should

not be overlooked, inasmuch as it does bear directly and often with great force upon the usefulness of the immigrant, both as a voting citizen and as an effective laborer. Moreover, it is also a fact that the largest percentage of illiterates is found, generally speaking, among those races who send the largest percentage of men without wives or families.

RACE OR PEOPLE

NUMBER AND PER CENT. OF ILLITERATES

14 years of age and over, in each race of European immigrants (including Syrian) admitted into the United States in the fiscal years 1899 to 1909, inclusive.

[Compiled by the United States Immigration Commission from reports of the Commissioner-General of Immigration]

a Including 693 Hungarians in 1899. b Including 35 Hungarians in 1899.

NUMBER AND PER CENT. OF ILLITERATES

14 years of age or over, in each class of European immigration (including Syrian) in fiscal years 1899 to 1909, inclusive.

Inclination to Return to Europe

The nature of our activities, both private and public, is determined primarily by our purpose and intentions regarding the future. If an immigrant intends to remain permanently in the United States and become an American citizen, he naturally begins at once, often indeed before he leaves Europe, to fit himself for the conditions of his new life, by learning the language of the country, studying its institutions, and later on by investing his savings in America and by planning for the future of his children in such a way that they may have advantages even better than his own. If, on the other hand, he intends his sojourn in this country to be short, a matter of a few months or a few years, naturally his whole outlook upon American institutions and American life is changed. He will wish to secure in America that which will be of chief use to him after his return to his home country, and not that which would ultimately serve him best here. The acquisition of the English language will be of little consequence unless it might secure a slight increase of wages, and the acquirement of a year or two would

scarcely suffice for any important change in this regard. Naturally, the chief aim of a person with this intention is to put money in his purse; to secure as much wealth as possible in this country, not for investment here but for investment in his home country, so that upon his return he may possess a better economic and social status. The question, then, of a permanent, as compared with a transient, residence in the United States becomes a factor of prime importance in determining the ease of assimilation of the various races of immigrants. In this respect an important distinction is to be made between the races of the new immigration and those of the old.

Our earlier immigration records did not take account of the aliens leaving United States ports, but beginning with 1907 such a record has been kept and the figures for the year 1908 are available. Inasmuch as in the fall of 1907 there was an industrial crisis followed by a period of depression, the return movement during the year 1908 was doubtless greatly stimulated, while on the other hand the immigration during the earlier part of 1907 was also very large. The European emigration, including the Syrians, into the United States in the year 1907 showed 22.7 per cent. of the old immigration and 77.3 per cent. of the new, whereas the difference between the immigrants of these two classes leaving the United States in the year 1908 was still more striking, those of the old immigration numbering only 8.9 per cent., while the new formed 91.1 per cent. These facts would seem to show that the races of peoples composing the older immigration are much more largely permanent residents, whereas a very large proportion of the newer immigrants are merely transient dwellers who come

here for a few years to acquire a competence and then return to their home country.

From the reports of the United States Commissioner-General of Immigration, which have, on the whole, been confirmed by the separate investigations of the Immigration Commission, it appears that taking a number of years in succession, 1908, 1909, 1910 (the later figures of 1911-1912 indicate the same tendencies), the number departing for every one hundred admitted varies greatly among the different races, and the distinction between the new immigration and the old in this regard is very striking. Not less than 56 per cent. and over of the North Italians and South Italians, Magyars, Turks, Croatians, Slovenians and Slovaks were returning to Europe in those years, whereas of the Hebrews and the Irish only 8 per cent. and 7 per cent., respectively, returned. If we classify the data regarding the aliens admitted and departed, so as to indicate separately the old and the new immigration, it is found that the number departing for every one hundred admitted of the old immigration is only 16, while of the new immigration it is more than twice as much, 38.

It appears then, clearly, that in this respect likewise the conditions which would lead to a ready assimilation with the Americans exist to a much greater degree among the races of the old than among those of the new immigration. It appears, too, that the inclination to return to the home country is much greater among the immigrants who have been in this country but a short time than among others, another fact which seems to justify the belief that the transient immigrant is becoming a most important fact.. immigration question. In this regard