the common interest, and that in our business, as well as in our religion, our education, and our politics, every child of the nation is to have his free and equal chance. If we make it completely so, as seems likely enough, we shall show to all the world that democracy opens opportunity to moral and material progress, and we shall discharge a part of the obligation which our generation of freemen owes to the generations of freemen who have gone before.

ILLITERACY IN THE UNITED STATES

REPRINTED FROM THE YOUTH'S COMPANION, BY COURTESY OF THE PERRY MASON COMPANY

We have very exact information about the number of people in the United States who are illiterates. By an "illiterate we mean a person who is ten years old or more and can not write in any language. It is generally true that if one can not write he can not read.

The proportion of illiterates is smaller than it used to be. In 1870 there were 200 illiterates to each 1000 of population; in 1880 there were 170; in 1890 there were 133; in 1900 there were 107.

The accompanying table will show the number of illiterates to each 1000 people in the various states in 1900.

These figures are from the census, but a table from election returns showing the number of illiterate voters per thousand people in each state is so nearly the same that it confirms the substantial accuracy of the census figures.

We may be interested to see how the number of illiterates in our states compares with the number in the best educated countries of Europe.

In every nine voters we have one full grown man who can not read or write. We have no basis of exact comparison, but there are related and authentic figures which are more convincing than comforting.

TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF ILLITERATES IN EACH THOUSAND OF POPULATION BY CENSUS OF 1900

The Imperial Bureau of Statistics at Berlin informs us that of all the recruits in the German army in 1903, but I in 2500 was illiterate. In Sweden and Norway it was but I in 1250; in Denmark, I in 500; in Switzerland, 1 in 166; in Holland, I in 40; in France, 1 in 16. In 1902, in England and Scotland, I man in 40 and I woman in 40 were unable to write their names when married. In other words, we appear to have more than four times as many illiterates as there are in England and Scotland, and infinitely more than there are in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, and the German Empire.

About four fifths of our American illiterates were born, or their parents were born, among the most unfavored people of the Old World. But that fact must not lead us to suppose that we have but few illiterates born in this country. The fact is, that in many of our states we have more illiterates whose parents are natives than those whose parents are foreign born. In New York State in 1900 there were 29,188 of the former and 18,162 of the latter. And New York is not at all exceptional.

If we expect to find a larger percentage of illiteracy in the cities than in the country, we must be disappointed. The percentage of illiteracy in New York City, and in our other large cities, is less than in many rural counties, and is not greater than in the average rural county. The percentage of illiterates who are American born is much larger in the country than in the cities. Indeed, there are few if any rural counties which show so small a percentage of native illiterates as the largest cities show. The city and county of New York has a smaller percentage of illiterates who are the

children of foreign born parents than any other county in the State of New York.

This may indicate how much more convenient the schools are in the city than in the country, and how much better the school attendance and child labor laws are enforced in the cities than in the country; but it also indicates that immigrant parents in the cities voluntarily send their children to school more regularly than do native born parents living in the country.

The facts clearly show that illiteracy is less prevalent in cities. of more than 25,000 inhabitants than in smaller cities. They show that illiteracy is more common above twenty-five years of age than between ten and twenty-five. Illiteracy among children is rapidly decreasing in all sections of the country.

There is more illiteracy among women than men, but the difference is growing less, and it seems probable that before long there will be more among men than women.

Our American states are spending much more money for popular education than is spent by the same number of people in any other country in the world. Why do we have so many unlettered people above ten years of age, and particularly why do we have so many more than they have in England, Scotland, Holland, Switzerland, Norway or Germany?

The answer to this question is not very difficult. There are at least three reasons for it:

First. We are now receiving vast numbers of immigrants from countries where illiteracy is very prevalent. It has not always been so. We formerly got most of our immigrants from the more intelligent countries of the Old World. Now we are getting most from the less favored nations. Although there is no reason for fear that their children can not be educated and assimilated, both parents and children do add much to our percentage of illiteracy. But we get many immigrants from countries having less illiteracy than we have. One class somewhat offsets the other. It is hard to know what to do with illiterates who want to come to America from other lands. It is difficult, perhaps wrong, to deny them the privilege of coming, but clearly the matter requires much attention.

Second. We undertake more in our schools than other nations do in theirs, but the leading nations of Europe do what they undertake much more generally and completely than we do. In other words, in Europe there are classes and much caste. The people who have made and who execute the laws have not reasoned that

every child ought to have a chance to get a liberal education, but they have reasoned that for the good of the nation every child must be required to go to school regularly between about six and fourteen years of age, that he may be sure of an elementary education.

Third. They enforce school attendance laws more systematically and completely in many other countries than we do. Unhappily, the common sentiment of America does not sustain the enforcement of laws requiring the attendance of children at school, as the common sentiment of many other countries does. We have much more freedom in this country than many other countries have, but we have more false ideas about freedom than many of them have. There is the pinch.

Much depends upon the importance which in the popular mind attaches to the matter of sending children to school, and that in turn depends very largely upon what the government does.

I once heard a prominent official in Berlin say that he was sure that there were not ten children in that city, of a million and a half people, out of school that day who ought to be there. The necessity of having children in school has been inbred in the life. and thought of the German people. All their plans were made to conform to it. The enforcement of laws or royal decrees for a long time has trained the common sentiment, and resulted in a universal usage. It is thought as necessary to have children go to school regularly as to have them eat regularly.

There is no doubt about the methods by which illiteracy may be reduced to a negligible quantity. It is to be done through complete statistics, through exact registration, through requiring that every child within fixed ages shall be in school-unless sick whenever the schools are in session, through holding the parents more than the children responsible, and through seeing that every child is actually accounted for.

In the table of states set forth at the beginning of this article all the states before Maryland have compulsory attendance laws, somewhat, although not very completely, enforced. West Virginia, Nevada and Kentucky have such laws, very much neglected. The other states have none. Look again at the figures opposite the names of the states, and see the difference in results.

Experience is showing us very clearly what especial provisions must be placed in school attendance laws before they will accomplish their ends. Very briefly these may be enumerated as follows: