The essay responds to renewed debate over the so-called negro problem, arguing that constitutional enfranchisement settled that question and that social advancement will occur gradually rather than by miracle. It compares African Americans' position with that of Asian peoples newly under U.S. authority, weighing assimilation versus exclusion and addressing proposals for colonial relocation of Black Americans to South America. The author contends that the nation must formulate a just, practical policy for integrating or managing different racial groups in newly acquired territories while recognizing the slow pace of social change and the citizen rights already secured.