i58 



SCIENCE. 



[N. S. Vol. XX. No. 518. 



on the efficiency and purity of administration. 

 The social problems of America, as he presents 

 the case, center chiefly around the worship of 

 the golden calf (p. 4). The racial problem, 

 the practical stagnation of the native born 

 and the rapid increase among the poor aliens, 

 make it advisable to take steps to preserve the 

 ascendency of the Anglo-Saxon type of 

 America (p. 6). Otherwise an undesirable 

 modification of national character will take 

 place. The nation is now indescribably 

 heterogeneous. At a time when its larger 

 tasks require internal unity and progress (p. 

 23) the nation is harassed with problems of 

 racial relations. With the Indians the result 

 has been far from satisfactory. With the 

 negroes, the racial adjustment is a ' burning ' 

 question. The only solution offered is edu- 

 cational; but American education is material- 

 istic in its trend — a statement to which ex- 

 ception might well be taken. Instead of unity 

 we have an ever-widening gap between capital 

 and labor (p. 35). 



In the chapter on America and colonization, 

 the six motives of colonization are classified 

 as trade, conquest, adventure, overflow of 

 population, religious persecution and political 

 rivalries — all of which have to some extent 

 figured in the territorial expansion of the 

 United States, from the Atlantic seaboard 

 across the continent, thence to Alaska, to 

 Hawaii, Samoa, the Philippines and Porto 

 Rico, giving rise to two great extensions of 

 control: (1) Pacific expansion and (2) Carib- 

 bean expansion. In both of these the greatest 

 problem is that of dealing with alien races. 



In the Philippines the author contends that 

 our idealism has led us to overlook the com- 

 mon sense requirements of the situation (p. 

 Ill) ; the Philippines wanted peace, good gov- 

 ernment and commercial prosperity; America 

 has given them institutions and legislation; 

 after three years' occupation not one yard of 

 railroad has been begun; only one wagon road 

 is in process of construction; no canals nor 

 deepening of rivers has been undertaken, nor 

 any improvement of harbors, except at Manila 

 (p. 109). This seems to be rather a one-sided 

 judgment. Certainly the Philippines have 

 been given peace. Certainly the best govern- 



ment they have ever had has been given them, 

 and the basis laid for commercial prosperity 

 by the settlement of the land question, which 

 was one of the chief causes of the revolt under 

 Spanish rule. 



In the Caribbean expansion of the United 

 States, Cuba and Mexico are the two great 

 considerations. The economic dependence of 

 the one and the economic absorption of the 

 other will be accelerated by the construction 

 of the Panama Canal. But the problematic 

 aspect of Caribbean expansion is the fate of 

 the holdings of European states in this part of 

 the world. 



' Great Britain apparently can not help her 

 island colonies. America does not want them.' 

 The trans-isthmian canal, however, enhances 

 their value to the owners of the West Indies, 

 strategically. The hope of closer affiliations 

 with Canada is still regarded as a realizable 

 solution, because the two countries are eco- 

 nomically complemental. For Great Britain 

 the Caribbean question is a crucial one. Will 

 these islands between the upper millstone of 

 American indifference and the nether mill- 

 stone of British inability to give them eco- 

 nomic prosperity ultimately fall under the 

 control of America ? Cuba the author regards 

 as so incapable of working out her economic 

 salvation that without American energy and 

 capital the island can not be developed. But 

 though the United States gave Cuba educa- 

 tion and sanitation, she has not been able to 

 emancipate herself from an economic de- 

 pression which may yet force the island to 

 seek incorporation into the Union. " Are the 

 other Caribbean islands to go the way of 

 Cuba?" (p. 190). Are the Central republics 

 to pass within the sphere of American con- 

 trol? And if so, what stands in the way of 

 a still wider sweep of Pan-Americanism em- 

 bracing Canada and the southern continent? 

 In the chapter on Canada and Pan-American- 

 ism the commercial situation is considered as 

 requiring that people to have reciprocity either 

 with the United States or with Great Britain. 

 The United States rendered futile two earnest 

 efforts by Canadian commissions (1891 and 

 1896) to establish reciprocal trade relations 

 with us. Meanwhile the trend of Canadian 



