This hasty glance at the work of the American Bible Society for Italians in the United States suggests that the field is most comprehensive and encouraging, that a certain amount of progress has already been made in evangelizing these interesting people, and finally, that the greater the co-operation between home missionaries and the Bible School Society laborers, the more thorough and permanent are the results of sowing the seed.

G. THE AMERICAN TRACT SOCIETY AND THE ITALIANS

By JUDSON SWIFT, D.D., General Secretary

The American Tract Society is carrying in stock about 250 titles in the Italian language. The Italian hymnal, both word and music editions, has had a large circulation, totaling 48,000 copies. "Pilgrim's Progress" in Italian has had a circulation of 5,000 in the past few years. The total circulation of books, tracts and hymnals in the Italian language reaches a grand total of 1,250,000 copies. During the past four years seven colporteurs have been working among our Italian population, and over 30,000 copies of books and tracts have been distributed.

From our records, going back as far as twenty years, we learn that upwards of 350,000 volumes have been circulated in Italian. and the colporteurs working among the Italians during the past four years have made in round numbers 75,000 family visits, and held about 500 meetings. It is understood, of course, that the holding of meetings is the most limited part of their work, as their principal and almost sole duty is to go from house to house. and also address themselves to individuals wherever they meet them. The Tract Society has no colporteur mission or churches

H. THE Y. M. C. A. AND IMMIGRANTS

By PETER ROBERTS, Ph. D.

The Y. M. C. A. will next summer complete a decade of special service to immigrants coming to North America. It owes an answer to the Christian church and to the nation of what service it has rendered immigrants during this time. This article aims to do this.

In the fall of 1907 a special secretary was put in charge of work for immigrants. By conferences with European and Canadian representatives of the Y. M. C. A., secretaries were stationed at twelve European ports, six Atlantic, and two Pacific. The work of

these men was so co-ordinated that a man leaving Liverpool, or Naples, or Libau, met representatives of the Y. M. C. A. at many points en route, and found himself at destination with a card of introduction to the secretary of the local branch or a corresponding member. A Pole who knew not a word of English remembered the letters, Y. M. C. A., and meeting them at Fiume, New York, and Chicago, placed confidence in the men who wore caps with the letters on them, and found guidance, help, and direction when in difficulty. The three men on Ellis Island serving the Y. M. C. A. have command of twenty-three different tongues or dialects. The organization has conducted twelve experiments on board ships crossing the Atlantic by placing men to work among immigrants. The service is worth while, and we hope a way to finance such a work will be found when the tide of immigration becomes normal. One of the many by-products of the present war is the complete disorganization of the port work in Europe and Canada conducted by the Y. M. C. A.

The second step in the program of service is the manning of points of distribution, such as Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Buffalo, St. Louis, Detroit, Chicago, San Francisco, etc. Immigrants coming to these centers by main railroad routes from ports of landing are dumped by the government and left to their own wits. At these points vultures watch for prey. The depot secretaries protect the newcomer, they co-operate with the police, in some instances are clothed with police power, and are in alliance with trustworthy car conductors and expressmen, and in every way try to defeat the cunning devices of men who rob and cheat the immigrant. When immigration is normal, fifty such men could well be stationed and render valuable service to immigrants at points of distribution.

The third and greatest part of the program is the intensive work done in immigrant colonies in North America. This part of the program has four distinct aims

1. To teach the foreign-speaking men the English language. A special course of instruction has been prepared for this work, issued by the Association Press. Thousands of men have learned to talk, read and write our language in these classes, and at present no fewer than 30,000 people of forty-two different nationalities or dialects, are being taught. Students in colleges, clerks and foremen-men of all classes are enlisted to teach, most

of whom give their services free of charge. It is missionary work of the first importance.

2. The advanced course in English comprises civics, by which the alien is prepared to take out his naturalization papers. Thousands have been and are still being helped to pass the examination conducted by the court, and on several occasions, both east and west, the judges on the bench have spoken most enthusias tically of the effort, not only as help to aliens, but also as reacting upon their work, making it more agreeable and pleasing.

3. The alien should know something about the history of America, the men and women who have made the nation, the form of government, the customs and institutions, of the country, the standards which obtain on the continent, and the opportunities awaiting them and their children in the "land of opportunity." This information is imparted to the newcomers by slide and reel, in halls and parks, in schools and on highways. Last year the work was done by 110 associations, and an estimate of the people reached in these gatherings was 500,000.

The foreign speaking people bring with them to North America much that deserves conservation. The Association tries to open an avenue of self-expression to these people. Hence branches of the Y. M. C. A. all over the land plan and carry out concerts, entertainments, and socials to which come representatives of .many as twenty-five distinct peoples, most of whom witness friends. taking part in the entertainment. Peoples of various groups are given the chance to meet each other and meet native-born men who believe in democracy and the kingdom of God. These cosmopolitan meetings have brought together representatives of nations, now at war, and they have broken bread together, joined their voices in singing our songs, and joined hands and hearts in pledging allegiance to the Stars and Stripes.

From these services, meeting the needs of immigrants, as well as rendering service to the state and nation, many spiritual experiences have come. The centers established in foreign-speaking colonies have been rallying places for the best among the group to come together; many of them have sought higher spiritual realities; many have been led to closer affiliation with the church of their fathers; some Bible classes have grown out of them; and in a hundred ways the secretaries in charge of the work have hl. through personal interview, opportunities to render the highest possible service man can give his brother.

I. DISTRIBUTION OF ITALIANS (FOREIGN BORN AND NATIVE BORN OF FOREIGN OR MIXED PARENTAGE) BY STATES ACCORDING

TO CENSUS OF 1910

Maine..

Vermont...

New Hampshire

Massachusetts .

Rhode Island

New York

Connecticut

North Carolina

South Carolina

548

Georgia..

972

Florida ..

7,413

Kentucky

2,545

2,189

J. ITALIAN POPULATION OF LEADING CITIES AND THE PERCENTAGE OF THE TOTAL POPULATION ACCORDING TO CENSUS OF

K. LOCATION OF ITALIAN AGRICULTURAL COLONIES IN THE UNITED STATES

ASTI, CALIFORNIA. A colony of northern Italians, engaged in vine culture, produces 13,240,000 gallons of table wine a year. Six small towns in the vicinity are inhabited mainly by Italians, owning 5,000 acres of land, and working 10,000 more. These Italians are from Tuscany and Piedmont. They acquired land at $50 an acre, and it is now worth $200.

ALEXANDRIA, TENNESSEE. Is in the cotton belt. Fifty families from northern Italy are working plantations there.

BRYAN, TEXAS. There are from 300 to 350 Italian families, 25,000 souls. This colony was founded twenty-five years ago by railroad laborers who sent for their families and friends as

they earned the passage money. More than one-half of the

families own their own farms of from 30 to 160 acres on which they raise corn and some cotton. The entire colony owns a district covering eighteen square miles.

BOOMER, WEST VIRGINIA. Contains over 500 Italian families, mostly Calabrians and Sicilians. The people live in cheap company houses, almost entirely isolated from outside influences. A quick workman earns $5 a day in the soft coal mines, but the work is dangerous. Twenty-four men were recently killed by an explosion. The Italians here feel keenly the lack of proper