It is evident that the Nicaraguan "Generals" undertook to rob Albers of his tobacco crop. To a certainty they will succeed in the end. But if he had corn or cotton or cattle, it would be just the same, - if he had anything, they would extort it out of him on some pretext and lock him up in jail for protesting. The theory that President Zelaya has been misled excites laughter from any one who knows these countries.

The devious methods of the crooked in mind are still further disclosed by later developments in the Albers case. Again, we will let the press despatches tell the story:

WASHINGTON, Sept. 30, 1905. The relations between this government and Nicaragua concerning the case of William S. Albers, an American imprisoned in Nicaragua, have not been bettered by a recent discovery on the part of the State Department that Señor Corea, the Nicaraguan minister here, is trying to secure facts detrimental to the character of Albers. It is presumed that whatever information the minister can obtain will be presented to the State Department to show that Albers is the sort of man who would be likely to break the laws of Nicaragua and who accordingly should not receive a great deal of consideration by this government.

The new phase of the situation came unexpectedly to the State Department when several letters written by the minister to persons he believed knew Albers were received, saying that any information they had about Albers would be given to the State Department and not to the minister. The minister's letters read about like this:

"Understanding that you have acquaintance with William S. Albers, can you furnish me with information, with regard to his private life or in connection with his business enterprises?"

While the plan adopted by the minister is perhaps thoroughly legitimate, officers of the State Department think it is somewhat below the standard of diplomacy.

What a business in which a minister of a Sister Republic finds himself! A minister is supposed to be a gentleman; he surely wears shoes, and is likely a "Doctor." When the representative of Nicaragua stoops to such methods, how could it be expected that the common people of that Republic - the Spanish-Indian half-breeds, — should respect the amenities of civilization?

Suppose Mr. Albers were as great a miscreant as the minister of Nicaragua seems by his conduct to be, would that excuse the so-called government for robbing him, stealing his tobacco and locking him up in jail?

Mr. Albers was sentenced later to three years' imprisonment, and his property confiscated.

CHAPTER II

IMMIGRATION INTO LATIN AMERICA

I. INCREASE IN POPULATION OF THE CIVILIZED POWERS

HE only hope for the salvation of Latin America lies in immigration from Europe and the United States and in the influx of foreign capital; and these can only be fulfilled when decent, stable governments are established. There is no other hope for progress. Theorists may talk about evolution, and countries working out their own salvation, but such lines of argument do not apply here. These Spanish-Indian-Negro mixtures would not, in a thousand years, of their own growth or development become civilized.

The increase in population in the great civilized countries of the world is directly due to the facts that their peoples live under good governments, that they are able to devote their attention to the production and distribution of food and raiment, and that they can live in comfortable houses and under decent sanitary conditions. Thus it is that we find in Germany an increase in population from 24,631,396 in 1616, to 56,367,178 in 1900,- an increase of 31,535,782, notwithstanding the enormous number of emigrants who went to the United States and other foreign countries. The annual rate of increase has never been less than .61 per cent (during the war in 1871), and in 1900 it was 1.5 per cent.

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In 1801 England and Wales had a population of 8,892,536; in 1901 their population was 32,527,843, and they have sent out millions of emigrants to other countries during this period, among them nearly three millions to the United States.

The increase in the population of the Russian Empire is about two millions a year at the present time.

Europe, as a whole, has more than doubled its population in the past century. Of the 400,000,000 which now inhabit that continent, 225,000,000 have been gained within the past hundred years by natural increase.

The record of the United States is even more wonderful; it has more than trebled its population in fifty years, and its steady growth may be seen from the following table:

There is nothing in the history of the world to compare with the above record. Why this marvellous increase in population? Because we have a good government; because a man here can labor and reap the reward of his efforts; because our people are not killed off by revolutionary bands and bandit governments; because they are not compelled to live in filth and squalor, without sanitary conveniences; because they are given an opportunity to accumulate property so that they can provide their families with proper houses, proper clothing, and necessary medical attendance.

Of our vast population, 22,000,000 have come from Europe within the past century, and are arriving at the rate of nearly a million a year.

IMMIGRATION INTO THE UNITED STATES BY DECENNIAL PERIODS FROM 1821 TO 1900, AND FROM 1901 TO 1903

Add to the above the immigrants coming from Canada, and we have a grand total of 22,000,000 or more.

It is unnecessary to remind the reader of the great blessing which this immigration as a whole has been to our country, for it is universally recognized and admitted by all intelligent thinkers. Three fourths of these immigrants have settled in twelve States, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa, Minnesota, and Cali

fornia. These States contain one half the population of the Union and nearly two thirds of its productive wealth.

If the United States should increase in population for the next fifty years at the same rate as the past fifty, then in 1950 it would have a population of 250,000,000.

II. IMMIGRATION INTO CHILI, BRAZIL, AND ARGENTINA

What a different story have we to tell of Latin America! Leaving aside Mexico and Cuba, it is a matter of grave doubt whether the population of the rest of Latin America is greater now than it was fifty years ago. Chili and Argentina would show an increase, and possibly Costa Rica, but there are others that surely have fewer inhabitants now than they had in 1850. It is hard to prove or disprove any assertions which may be made on this subject, because there are no statistics in Latin America worthy of the slightest credence. An analysis of the estimates which the respective governments have furnished may aid us in forming some opinion on this matter.

The returns of an alleged census in Brazil for 1890 showed an area of 3,218,130 square miles and a population of 14,333,915, being 44 per square mile. In 1900 another "census was taken, which showed an actual decrease of population. This census was rejected by the government, and its results were never published, but why it should be considered less reliable than that of 1890 is difficult to understand. The figures of 1890 gave 6,302,198 white, 4,638,495 mixed breeds, 2,097,426 negroes, and 1,295,796 Indians, figures which on their face are wholly unreliable. It is not probable that there are 6,000,000 white people in all Latin America, including Mexico and Cuba, and it is morally certain that there is not the fourth of that number in Brazil.

At one time considerable immigration took place into Brazil from Europe, and from 1871 to 1892 it is stated that 860,991 immigrants entered the country. But the number of immigrants has been steadily decreasing in recent years. There are still considerable numbers of Italians, Portuguese, and Spaniards going into Brazil, but the number of other nationalities is of little importance. In the year 1898 there were 669 Austrians, 477 Germans, 247 French, 137 Russians, 129 Swiss, and not enough English or Americans to be worthy of record.

The area of Argentina is given as 1,135,840 square miles, and its population according to the "census" of 1895 was 3,954,911, or less than 3 per square mile. An estimate was made by the government in 1902 which gave 5,022,240 as the population; but like all other Latin-American estimates, it is wholly unreliable. It is unquestionably true, however, that Argentina is increasing both in population and wealth. It is beyond doubt the leading country of South America,

and has received more European immigrants in the past hundred years than all the rest of them combined. In 1895 it was stated that there were 886,395 foreigners in Argentina, divided as follows:

The hope for the future of Argentina is in these people. There are so many of them in proportion to the total population that it is morally certain Argentina will progress and not go backward. It is true that immigration into Argentina appears insignificant in comparison with that of the United States, and it has fallen off in recent years, as the following table shows:

Chili does not receive anything like the immigration of Argentina, but its population is increasing, though at a very slow rate. The "census" of 1885 gave a population of 2,527,320, and in 1895 the figures were 2,712,145, an increase of 184,825 in ten years. Making allowance for Latin-American figures, it may be said that Chili is probably a little more than holding her own. In 1895 it was stated that there was an European population of 42,000 in Chili, of which 7000 were Germans and 6000 English.

Subsequent chapters will enter into the immigration problem of both Brazil and Chili, from which it will appear that there are grave difficulties confronting the European who goes to those countries. The Colonization Agency of Chili in Europe states that the number of immigrants entering that country has been as follows in the years named: in 1898, 564; 1899, 548; 1900, 936; 1901, 1449; 1902, 864.

III. IMMIGRATION INTO THE NORTHERN PART OF SOUTH AMERICA

Leaving out of consideration Brazil, Argentina, and Chili, there is not a South American or Central American country which is receiving any immigration of the slightest consequence.

In Peru, which is the most advanced of the remaining countries, there has been nothing resembling a census since 1876, when the number of inhabitants was given at 2,660,881, of whom 13.8 per cent were alleged to be whites, 1.9 negroes, 57.6 Indians, 24.8 mestizos (mixed breeds), and 1.9 Chinese and other Asiatics. In addition there