340 proceedings: anthropological society 



After a description of the geographic relations of the Rio de la Plata 

 region, with an outline of its ethnical and anthropological conditions, the 

 speaker traced the history of Argentina only so far as it had an immediate 

 bearing upon material progress, and then gave a comprehensive survey 

 of the republic as at present, — its principal cities, its industries, its 

 products, and its activities. One of the interesting features about the 

 republic is that in it is repeated a development quite comparable to that 

 which has been so characteristic of the United States in North America. 

 In fact, this immense area in South America is the one most easily under- 

 stood by the Anglo-Saxon who looks back upon the history of material 

 progress and conquest in his own country. 



The ethnical elements of the population may be studied in the immi- 

 gration statistics of Argentina more satisfactorily than in its census. 

 In fact, no census has been taken since 1895, when the total population 

 was 3,954,911. In 1911 it was estimated to be over 7,000,000. The 

 total number of immigrants arriving in the years 1857-1912 was 4,248,- 

 355. It is interesting to note that more than half this number, or 2,133,- 

 508, were Italians. The Spaniards were scarcely more than half as 

 numerous as the Italians, or 1,298,122. Other European races were repre- 

 sented by much smaller numbers than these. The French numbered 

 only 206,912 and the ''Russians" 136,659. Next to these came a race 

 from Western Asia, the Syrians, with a total of 109,234; then the " Aus- 

 trians" and "Germans" with 80,736 and 55,068, respectively. The 

 "Britons" numbered nearly as many as the "Germans," or 51,660. 

 The Swiss, Belgians, and Portuguese numbered about 20,000 or 30,000 

 each; the Danes and Dutch 7000 each; the "North Americans" 5500; 

 the Swedes 1700, and "others" 79,251. 



The relative proportions of ItaHans and Spaniards arriving during 

 the last year of this period, 1912, were about the same as during the 

 entire period, or 165,662 of the former to 80,583 of the latter. It is 

 worthy of note that the "Russians" and Sjrrians rose to the next two 

 places in the list, with a total for the year of about 20,000 each. No 

 doubt the "Russians" and "Austrians" in Argentina, as in the United 

 States, are largely Poles and Slavs of other races than the true Russian, 

 together with a certain proportion of Hebrews. The ' ' North Americans' ' 

 arriving during 1912 numbered about 500. The total immigration for 

 the year was 323,403. 



A high tide of immigration reached Argentina at about the same 

 period as the United States, in the decade 1881-1890, when a grand total 

 of 846,568 immigrants arrived in Argentina. This number was, how- 

 ever, exceeded in the last half -decade, 1906-1910, when 1,238,073 

 arrived in Argentina, or a larger proportion than came to the United 

 States during that period. 



At a special meeting of the Society, held April 7, at the National 

 Museum, Senor F. A. Pezet, Minister of Peru, read a paper on 

 Contrasts in the develo-pment of nationality in Latin and Anglo-America. 

 Each of these populations, he said, has its special traits of charac- 



