ourths of the world's mail matter is addressed in
English. More than half of the world's newspapers are printed in
English, and, as they have a larger circulation than those in other
languages, probably three-fourths of the world's newspaper reading is
done in English.

The languages next in importance, French and German, cannot maintain
their relative positions because English has more than half of the new
land in the temperate zone and they have none. The languages which have
the rest of the new territory, Spanish and Russian, are not established
as culture languages, as English is. No other language, not even French
or German, has a vernacular so uniform and well established, and with so
few variations from the literary language. English is spoken in the
United States by more than fifty million people with so slight
variations that no foreigner would ever notice them. No other language
whatever can show more than a fraction of this number of persons who
speak so nearly alike.

It is then probable that, within the century, English will be the
vernacular of a quarter instead of a tenth of the people of the world,
and be read by a half instead of a quarter of the people who can read.

4. The Assimilation of Races[246]

The race problem has sometimes been described as a problem in
assimilation. It is not always clear, however, what assimilation means.
Historically the word has had two distinct significations. According to
earlier usage it meant "to compare" or "to make like." According to
later usage it signifies "to take up and incorporate."

There is a process that goes on in society by which individuals
spontaneously acquire one another's language, characteristic attitudes,
habits, and modes of behavior. There is also a process by which
individuals and groups of individuals are taken over and incorporated
into larger groups. Both processes have been concerned in the formation
of modern nationalities. The modern Italian, Frenchman, and German is a
composite of the broken fragments of several different racial groups.
Interbreeding has broken up the ancient stocks, and interaction and
imitation have created new national types which exhibit definite
uniformities in language, manners, and formal behavior.

It has sometimes been assumed that the creation of a national type is
the specific function of assimilation and that national solidarity is
based upon national homogeneity and "like-mindedness." The extent and
i