No. 4.] LESSONS FKOM THE CENSUS. 79 



faces Asia, as our Atlantic sea-board faces Europe ; and the 

 problems of Asiatic life and of Asiatic institutions have been 

 injected into the economic possibilities of the Pacific coast 

 States. No one can doubt that in some way or other the 

 Pacific coast is to share the problems of Asia, as our Atlantic 

 coast has shared those of Europe, 



I was never more impressed with the possibilities of Amer- 

 ican citizenship than while witnessing in San Francisco, in 

 August, 1899, the reception given to the Californian troops 

 returning from the Philippines. California and San Fran- 

 cisco fairly outdid themselves in welcoming their returning 

 sons. Every organization among the citizens was repre- 

 sented in the column which welcomed the returning soldiers. 

 The Society of the Native Sons of California — Native Sons 

 of the Golden West, as they call themselves — turned out 

 its thousands to swell the throng. Amono- these native sons 

 was a regiment of Chinamen, American citizens, born in the 

 United States, marching step to step with other citizens 

 born in California. They showed their full share of en- 

 thusiasm, took their full part in welcoming those returning 

 from the x^siatic campaign, and paid more than their share 

 of the expense. Fifteen years before, such a demonstration 

 would not have been permitted in the streets of San Fran- 

 cisco ; and the interest, enthusiasm and devotion of these 

 Chinese citizens to American ideals and American institu- 

 tions were full of suggestions as to the possibilities of 

 American citizenship and as to the final form of civilization 

 which will become permanent on this continent. 



I mention this incident, not to suggest an unrestricted 

 admission of Chinese into the United States, but to call 

 attention to the fact that the problem of civilization in these 

 United States of America is not to be wrought out without 

 some regard to Europe and to Asia. No man lives to him- 

 self, and still less does any nation, — least of all that in 

 which we have the good fortune to live. There are those 

 who, when they speak of all mankind, include only the 

 inhabitants of their native city ; to others the term means the 

 dwellers in a single Commonwealth ; a still larger number 

 have in mind, when they use this term, the inhabitants of the 

 United States, and particularly the native born. But the 



