iate the principles of democracy and
Protestantism enshrined in English literature. The German and
Scandinavian and other tongues will contribute to America the best
they possess, while at the same time they are themselves greatly
enriched.

4. _The mingling races are challenging America to demonstrate the
truth of those principles of freedom and democracy of which such proud
boast has been made in days gone by._ The principles of democracy can
scarcely be thoroughly and finally tested among people who are of the
same race and have a common speech and who have a more or less common
purpose. Democracy can be adequately tested only amid the complexities
of race and clan, of diverse speech and history. These principles of
democracy have never been literally applied in any large way yet, but
one of God's greatest challenges to the manhood of the United States
and Canada to-day is that literal application of the principles of
democracy shall be made to the whole population gathered within their
vast domains. Here is a call for statesmanship and spiritual passion
worthy of the finest life America has produced.

[Illustration: SIZE OF PARISHES AT HOME AND ABROAD

Figures Give the Number of People to Each Protestant Minister]

II. MEXICO AND CENTRAL AMERICA

These lands lying to the south are America's nearest foreign
missionary field.

In each case in which the number of missionaries is mentioned in this
volume, unless otherwise stated, it may be understood to include all
missionaries, both men and women, except wives of missionaries. This
is thought to be fair, not because missionaries' wives are not as
devoted as their husbands or other workers, but because it is not to
be expected that a woman with household cares should be responsible
for the same amount of direct Christian work that is expected of other
workers on the field. In other words, the family or the single worker
is considered the unit.

The people in Mexico are nominally Roman Catholic, the census returns
showing thirteen and a half millions of that faith. Conditions are
difficult for Protestant missions. The population of Mexico is more
than fifteen millions. Among these millions there are 249
representatives of Protestant Christianity. In 1895 more than ten
millions in Mexico could neither read nor write, and while conditions
have improved somewhat since then, it is safe to say that seven out of
every ten of the population are illiterate. In Central A